


Fallout Avatar

by TheChapstickLesbian9494



Category: Avatar: Legend of Korra, Fallout (Video Games)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Fallout, Alternate Universe - No Bending, Asami is a brat, Comedy, Explicit Language, Explicit Sexual Content, F/F, F/M, Korra is a cocky shit, Slow Burn, Violence, eventual Korrasami
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-08-13
Updated: 2018-10-28
Packaged: 2019-06-27 02:03:27
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 22
Words: 130,457
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15675801
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheChapstickLesbian9494/pseuds/TheChapstickLesbian9494
Summary: "Welcome to Vault 58, your home beneath the ground. We've brought together the most intellectual and creative minds of Massachusetts. Here we strive to push family values and hard work. Helping thy neighbor is our policy. Together, we will thrive and survive. Enjoy your stay in your home away from home."Asami Sato has lived within Vault 58 her entire 20 years of life. The Sato family has ran the vault as Overseer for the last 3 generations, guiding the survivors of the Great War into a thriving society. But what will the young heiress do when her father suddenly dissapears without a trace and a new man steps up to the plate with a blatant disregard to the woman's claim as Overseer? Perhaps the Commonwealth will have the answers she seeks.





	1. Welcome to Vault 58

**Author's Note:**

> Hi everyone! I've been reading Korrasami fanfics for months now and I finally decided it was my turn to step up and contribute. So what better way than to mesh my favorite power couple and favorite videogame series? Just a heads up this IS the first fanfic I've ever written so any feedback is welcome! You'll notice if you decide to read that there may be references from various Fallout games, but the main setting of the story takes place in Fallout 4. The story starts off a bit slowly but bare with me! There is a lot of backstory to get through before we can get to the main event and most likely reason you're reading this fic. ;) Enjoy! Also I couldn't come up with a good title for this fic so...yah. That's probably the most disappointing part out of all of this.  
> (Disclaimer: I don't own or claim any rights to Avatar: The Legend of Korra or the Fallout series)  
> (Spoiler warning: This series will contain spoilers to the Fallout 4 videogame. Read at your own risk.)

_The flames flickered across her peridot eyes. The normal bright innocence that shone in her young eyes were glazed over and bloodshot from crying. Around the small room men, women and children echoed her pathetic whimpers at the sight before them. Friends, family and cherished loved ones lay unmoving only meters away, a simple pane of glass_ _separating_ _the living from the deceased. Asami attempted to recall the events that led up to such a devastating situation of heartbreak and loss. The week prior held mentions and murmurs of 'disease' and 'contagions' but such large words were foreign to a girl of the age of 6. Yet, now, as she stared into the room containing several lifeless bodies, she knew there was one word within her knowledge that she could associate with this situation; Death._

_A particularly loud sob broke her from her silent musings as she spared a glance to her right, noting the tear streaked face of the woman beside her. She recognized the woman as a worker in the cafeteria that inhabited the vault. Asami couldn't recall a time when the woman looked anything but happy, her genuine and heartfelt smiles contagious to those that were blessed by her presence. Yet now, as the woman stared into the room that was quickly being engulfed in flames, her expression reflected nothing but sorrow._

_Around her more muffled gasps and sobs echoed_ _throughout_ _the room as the flesh from the deceased began to burn and melt. Some sobs shifted_ _subtlety_ _into loud cries, the grief wracking several bodies until they were nothing but shuddering, shaking messes. The atmosphere began to overwhelm the young heiress and she quickly turned her body to hide her face into her father's pant leg, tears flowing freely over her puffy cheeks. She grasped blindly for his hand, seeking the sort of comfort that only her last living parent could provide. Thankfully she didn't have to search long because moments later she felt a large, warm hand engulf her smaller one. Encouraged by a reassuring squeeze to her hand she tilted her head upwards to peer at her father. The sight before her caused a fresh wave of tears to spill over her cheeks. Her father, the stoic, fearless Overseer of their vault, looked just as grief ridden as the rest of the people that were witnessing such a tragedy. His cheeks were wet though no tears were currently present._

_Witnessing the man she considered to be the strongest human in the vault reduced to this mess only reassured her of how grave their situation was. She allowed another sob to bubble up from her throat, though she managed to choke it down as she felt a gentle squeeze to her hand. She blinked through the tears, willing away the haze that overlapped her vision. Her father was peering down at her, his mouth moving in a  way that would normally form words, yet she heard nothing._

_"W-what?" Her voice was barely higher than a whisper, hoarse from the crying she had been doing for the past several minutes._

_His features contorted into a smile, though the expression didn't reach his eyes as he began to speak once more._

_"Stay strong, Asami. Our people will look to us for strength." His voice was husky and strained, as if he were holding back a sob of his own, yet his words held the ever present confidence her father was known for._

_Her eyebrows furrowed, confusion setting into her features as she considered her father's words. How could he expect her to stay strong when she felt nothing but pain? It was unfair that he could ask something of her that he wouldn't ask of the other people around them. Yet as she looked around, she began to notice the glances in their directions, no matter how brief they were. Seconds passed and she began to ponder the truth behind those words. She had always been taught that the Overseer was omnipotent. Their word was absolute, but with that power is a required strength that comes with it. What people would follow an Overseer that was deemed weak or unable to make hard decisions? The situation in front of them was a testament to her father's strength. His own wife's body lay in the room amongst the dead to be burned. Her mother, another number to be added to the group of bodies that piled up during this epidemic. And here was her father, composed for the most part despite the heart-breaking scene unfolding before him._

_Her eyes scanned over her father's features. She held little resemblance in appearance to him, but he wasn't recognized for his charming good looks. No. He was Hiroshi Sato, Overseer of Vault 58. Undivided ruler and leader of a group of survivors of the Great War. Just like his father and his father before him._

_Her family's legacy swirled through her mind and after moments of quiet contemplation she could physically feel her features harden. With one final sniffle she lifted the arm of her free hand and began to wipe furiously at her tear-stained cheeks. She lifted her chin defiantly, willing the tears to cease their escape from her eyes. Her father must have noticed the shift in her demeanor because moments later his own features hardened. The sorrow was ever present in his eyes, just as she suspected in her own gaze. But now there was a new purpose settled in their body language._

_Without a word both father and daughter turned their heads to face the horrific scene before them, hands still grasped firmly in one another. She puffed her chest out, taking on the familiar, confident pose of her father as they faced this disaster together. They only had eachother now, afterall._

****{14 years later- Present Time}** **

She began blinking rapidly, willing the memory from her mind. With a quick dart of her eyes to take in her surroundings she began to recall what exactly she was doing before the sudden rush of memory began to cloud her mind. She was greeted by the familiar scent of burning wires and oil. Her limited body movements reminded her she was within one of the many ducts that maze through the vault attempting to fix yet another wiring issue that a portion of the living area in the vault was experiencing. She couldn't help but puff out a sigh of annoyance at both her predicament and the painful reminder of such a difficult time in her life. Though the memory was painful, it also marked the day Asami dropped her childish behavior and recognized the responsibility she would one day have as Overseer of her vault.

As she began to once again fiddle with the exposed wires she allowed her mind to drift off to more concerning matters. She was less than a year away from assuming the role as Overseer and the responsibility and power she was about to adopt was not lost on her. Her lips twisted downwards into a scowl as she began to silently curse her father, the anger ever-present as her movements with the dangerous wires became more erratic.

'If you were just here I wouldn't have to deal with this bullshit on my own!' She silently cursed to herself, her eyes narrowing in a half-assed attempt to focus on the task at hand. Though internally, she knew she would no longer be able to finish what she set out to do with the electricity issues until she stewed on her daddy issues first. With a heavy sigh she dropped the wires from her grasp and instead began to brush her fingers through her raven locks, a familiar tick of hers when she was frustrated. She turned her head slightly to press her cheek to her free arm, allowing herself  a moment to rest to stew about the issues on her mind.

 

**{2 years ago}**

There was a heavy disturbance within the confines of Vault 58. Dread settled within the hearts of the citizens of the vault as they were faced with a sudden, unexpected issue: The abrupt dissapearance of Hiroshi Sato. Panic was apparent throughout the vault, people suddenly thrown into disarray due to the absence of their leader. But none were more hysterical than Asami herself.

The questions rapidly flashed through her mind. _Where's my dad? Where could he have gone to? Is he hurt? Why did he dissapear without telling me? Oh god, did somebody do something to him?_ She began to pace rapidly through her own living quarters, her jade eyes glued to the ground as she attempted to answer her own questions with reasonable responses. _He wouldn't just dissapear without telling me. Would he? No.. Something must have happened to him._ But who would dare do anything to THE Hiroshi Sato? She couldn't imagine one person brave enough to dare stand up to the Sato family, not unless they wished to be working with the fusion core reactor for the next year.

A sudden knock at her door caused her to stop her inner-dialogue and peer anxiously towards the noise. She felt her heart rate suddenly pick up in pace as a small part of her hoped that was positive news about her father's whereabouts; An even larger part of her hoped it was Hiroshi himself. After a few moments of silence she finally managed a response.

"Come in!" Despite her predicament her voice eluded a calmness that didn't reflect her inner turmoil. She was her father's daughter, afterall.

A quiet whoosh could be heard as the automatic door slid open, a young man clad in a Vault-Security uniform stepping into the confines of her personal living quarters. With a click of his heels the officer quickly slid his hand up to his forehead in a formal salute, holding the position until he was addressed.

"Report." She demanded a bit harshly, though if the officer took any offense to her tone of voice  he didn't show it. His hand slid down from his forehead and rested at his side at attention, his voice strong as he relayed his report.

"Yes ma'am. We've found no trace of the Overseer thus far. None of his belongings have been removed from his room and there seems to be no trace of a struggle in any part of the vault he frequently inhabits. So far, foul play is not suspected. It's common speculation that.." Finally his voice seem to taper off, his confidence wavering as he seemed to struggle to find the proper words to formulate the next part of his sentence. At the sudden tapping of the Heiress' foot the officer regained his composure and continued with his report, though it was obvious he was not nearly as confident as when he started. "It's suspected that the Overseer left the vault of his own accord." He winced immediately after finishing the sentence, knowing exactly what kind of landmine he just set off. And just as suspected, Asami reacted accordingly.

"Of his own accord?!" She shouted, completely allowing her composure to melt into the anger and fear the statement brought out in her. She took a step forward, raising her hand to jam her index finger into the leather chest of the uniform the officer was wearing as she continued speaking. "Are you accusing my father, the Overseer of this vault for the last 28 years, of being a coward? Of suddenly abandoning his people? Of abandoning me?!" Her voice cracked on the last word, her emotions nearly choking her as she attempted to speak. She had to give it to the officer, he was handling her mini breakdown rather well. Too well, almost. She gasped softly as a pair of arms suddenly wrapped around her body, pulling her flush against him in a rather bold embrace. She didn't blame him for his conduct, he was a close friend of hers afterall. As a matter of fact, recent actions they had partook in would suggest them as being more than just friends, though it was unbeknownst to the rest of the vault. The heiress preferred her privacy. But right now, she wanted nothing more than to figure out what was happening- or better yet, what was GOING to happen. She placed both her hands on his shoulders and added pressure, giving the young man the hint she didn't want to be touched. He was quick to catch on and released her from his grasp, though a sympathetic frown was plastered to his features. She almost felt bad for rejecting his touch- Almost. He opened his mouth to speak but was quickly cut off by the heiress' words.

"Listen Iroh, I don't need this right now. What I NEED is for you to get back out there and figure out what the hell happened. I need answers and I need them as soon as possible. Do you understand, officer?" Her voice became authoritative once more as she resumed the role she had been training her entire life for. Her word was absolute and her tone of voice left no room for argument. After a moments hesitation the officer quickly snapped back to attention, saluted the heiress' and about-faced to exit out of the room once again.

Once the door clicked back shut Asami found herself slumping down onto her bed, sprawled out amongst the bed-spread. She lifted one of her arms and slid it across her eyes, shielding her from the luminescence lights above. Different scenarios continued to bombard her thoughts over the next few hours, ranging from dangerous and heart-wrenching to downright absurd. Thankfully the endless stream of thoughts were eventually interrupted by the sudden onslaught of drowsiness, the toll from the day forcing her into a restless sleep.

A loud knocking at her door roused her from her rest, her eyes blinking rapidly as she attempted to decipher what time it was and who would bother waking her; She was always an early-riser anyways. With a soft groan she twisted onto her side and peered at her bedside clock, eyes squinting as she attempted to decipher the numbers she was seeing. 2:32am. Her eyebrows furrowed as she stared at the clock, deciding if she was reading the numbers correctly. What could somebody possibly want at this time of night? The question roused the sudden flashbacks from hours before. The entire vault in a panic over her father's dissapearance and just about everybody trying to found out what DID happen to Hiroshi Sato? She could feel the horror settle in her chest, her heart thumping rapidly against her ribcage in a vain attempt to escape. Her breathing began to shallow, her body shifting from comfortable rest to a frenzied panic in a matter of moments.

Another banging at the door snapped her out of her alarmed state and she quickly shuffled out of bed to answer the call. She hadn't bothered to change out of her blue jumpsuit from hours before and couldn't be more thankful for the fact. She was in such a rush to answer her door she hadn't bothered to take in the state of her attire.

She was greeted by 6 men and women she immediately recognized, all clad in the same blue jumpsuit with golden trim and the numbers 58 sewn into the back of the suit. It wasn't a matter of choice, because as the first Overseer had claimed at the opening of their vault, 'We are a family now. And when in the presence of your family you will wear you number with pride. Vault 58 is the family of the future.' The words continued to ring true throughout the 149 years the vault had been inhabited.

One of the men stepped forward, an older, pudgy man with grey hair and a long, grey beard to go with it. She recognized him immediately as Iroh, the grandfather of the security officer and her friend from earlier. He extended his hand to the heiress' in an almost congratulatory manner. She grasped his hand and gave it a firm shake instinctively, though she wasn't quite sure what his purpose was until he spoke.

"Overseer, we need to have an emergency meeting right away, it's of the utmost importance." The man stated hesitantly, quickly adding at the end, "If that's okay with you?" He released her hand from his grasp, though Asami's hand remained in the air as if stuck. If her sudden rigamortis didn't confuse the group, her slack jaw and wide eyes certainly exuded her surprise. After a moment of silent contemplation she began to move her mouth, though no words seem to be coming out. At the concerned expressions of the group in front of her she composed herself and finally managed a proper word, though it came out almost as a squeak, losing all control over her emotions and forgetting the rigorous training she's undergone for years prior.

"Overseer?" Her questioning tone revealed her confusion, and the man in front of her nodded thoughtfully, lifting his hand to stroke his beard contemplatively.

"Yes, that's precisely what this meeting is about." His eyes were old and grey, but they only showed kindness and compassion to the heiress and the predicament she was suddenly thrown into. She could only nod her head dumbly, though her feet refused to make movements and her legs seem to be arguing against any kind of functionality. The group in front of her waited, and internally she knew they were waiting for her to step in front and lead the group to one of the empty conference rooms. She understood the concept behind the gesture. What Overseer would allow themselves to be led by the group of people that were meant to follow them? She'd often compared their hierarchy to a pack of wolves, a species of animal she took an interest in studying after she noticed the similarities between her structure of life and theirs.

She quickly inhaled through her nose and forced her body to finally respond, stepping in front of the group of people and beginning to lead them to one of the conference rooms.

Though her father's word was absolute he was more than happy to take in considerations and status reports from a select few citizens of the vault. Those people happen to be the ones filing into the empty room, aside from a table and several chairs around it, behind her. Every person assumed a chair, though one obvious spot remained empty. Asami was hesitant, apparently so as everyone stared at her expectantly, but she finally took her seat at the head of the table, where her father would normally sit. She clasped her hands in front of her and rested her chin upon the back of her hands, eyes glancing at the faces in front of her. She silently berated herself for being so obviously nervous in front of a group of people she was meant to lead. She needed to compose herself, before they lost all faith in her and her ability to guide them through this trying time. Her father's words rang in her head, 'Be strong Asami.'. A voice spoke out amongst the silence. A man with long brown hair tied into braids, tanned skin and light grey eyes spoke out amongst the group. She recognized him as Noatak. Something about the guy had always set her on edge, the way he seemed TOO confident about himself and his words, as if he were the Overseer himself. Then again, she was aware that a lot of people that lived in the vault respected him and always seemed at ease around his calm demeanor.

"As you know, we're here because Hiroshi Sa-"

"What's the status on my father?" Asami interrupted him before he could get too deep into his monologue, her eyes flicking to his in a silent demand to answer the question. He seemed annoyed at the interruption, the side of his lips curling into a scowl, despite how brief it was. He quickly regained his composure, his calm demeanor emanating once again as he responded.

"We had every guard search the entire vault up and down, back to front. We have ruled out foul play entirely. The only logical explanation is that Hiroshi Sato has left the vault of his own volition." It took every ounce of her willpower to not lash out at the man like she had done Iroh earlier that day. But right now, she was in front of a group of people who were meant to respect her decisions and leading skills. Lashing out like a brash child would only hurt their image of her. She inhaled sharply through her nostrils and with a quick flick of her hand, urged him to continue.

"There doesn't seem to be any holotapes, notes or references that would lead to his sudden dissapearance. At the same time, due to the lack of information we have regarding him leaving, we are under the assumption that it was somebody from the Commonwealth that helped in his departure." There was a quiet murmur of discomfort amongst the group and Asami could barely contain her anger at the thought. They're accusing her father of running away, and are even hinting at him having it planned out rather than being a rash decision. She lifted her hand to silence the group, somehow managing to still the shaking just enough to appear calm and collected despite the situation.

"Okay. Say, hypothetically," She made sure to emphasize the word, "there was a person from the Wasteland who got in here to help him leave. How would they manage to get pass our security checkpoints? Have the guards been questioned? It would be impossible for them to get through all of our security precautions without somebody seeing them." She nodded at the end of her statement, confident in her ability to pick apart their conclusions. She watched as the men and women began to squirm in their seats uncomfortably, until a woman spoke up from the group. Asami recognized her as Mina, one of the residents in charge of overlooking food rations.

"Overseer, have you ever heard of The Institute?" Asami's perfectly sculpted eyebrow lifted in a questioning manner, answering the question without words. The woman continued. "Some of the security officers that have exposure to the Commonwealth trading were talking about an organization called the Institute. Apparently, the people of the Commonwealth believe them able to suddenly make people dissapear without a trace." Asami scoffed at this, both her eyebrows raising to show her disbelief in such a statement. Was this some kind of joke? She glanced around the table once more and saw some faces also expressing their disbelief, though others were gravely serious. With a long sigh Asami pinched the bridge of her nose, unable to believe she was entertaining the idea of such an absurd story.

"And how exactly do they just make people dissapear, Mina?" She peered at the woman over her fingers, clearly interested in the absurd answer the woman was about to give. She was sorely dissapointed in the response.

"I-I don't know, Overseer... Nobody knows. People just dissapear and everyone blames it on the Institute. Apparently none of them know how it's done." Her head lowered slightly at the response, knowing she did nothing to answer the real question at hand; Where is Hiroshi Sato?

Noatak cleared his throat to once again gather attention, his expression similar to Asami's just moments before. "Yes well... I say we don't ponder the wasteland boogeyman for too long. Those savage wastelanders are so drugged up on radiation and killing eachother that it's hard to believe any of those stories." The group murmured a unanimous agreement, pushing Noatak to press the next issue. "Overseer, we are under the assumption that your father is not returning. Thus, it is time for you to take the role as Overseer of our vault. Now, I understand you were not meant to take any part in an Overseer's responsibility until you turned 21. That time is still 3 years off, but unfortunately circumstances demand you assume the spot." Asami felt her heart clench at the declaration. She hadn't had much training in the responsibilities that would be expected of her one day. Sure, she was taught how she should act, speak and address the members of her vault. But the technical aspects, making big decisions.. all of that was lost on her. Not to mention she wasn't so eager to suddenly give up her youth. As of yesterday, she still had 3 years of goofing off left, she wasn't ready to just drop it. There was still so much she wanted to do. She liked to work on projects with the people, learn of the engineering aspects of their vault. As Overseer, she would no longer get to partake in those guilty pleasures.

She began to gnaw gently at her bottom lip, the taste of her waxy lipstick exploding on her taste buds. She shifted her gaze to the expectant faces around her, all of them seeming to come to the same conclusion. Panic began to quickly takeover, her breathing becoming quick as she thought about everything that was about to happen. She was going to be taking on the responsibility, the lives of hundreds of people.. and she didn't know how.

"I'm not ready." The words slipped from her mouth before she had the opportunity to stop them and her eyes widened as she suddenly exposed a weakness to the group in front of her. Some of their faces twisted into disappointment, others fear. What would they do without an Overseer? Amongst all the faces, one seemed to stay the same, a calm expression permanent on his features as he stared at the heiress.

"You don't have a choice, Overseer. We need a leader, and the Overseer has always been within the Sato family. To suddenly change that would throw the vault into chaos. You have loyal members to your family, and even if we did something as absurd as voting for a new Overseer, it is likely you would still be the optimal choice." He punctuated his statement by leaning back into his chair, entwining his fingers together to set comfortably on his lap. When Asami didn't respond he continued to speak, the words flowing smoothly, as if practiced.

"But I suppose there could be a short term solution to our predicament." All eyes snapped to Noatak immediately, looks full of curiosity but also a hint of wariness. He made sure he had full grasp of their attention before continuing.

"You could always find a temporary replacement. Atleast until you come of age, that is. And in the next 3 years you could learn the different responsibilities of the Overseer, that way when you turn 21 and assume full responsibility you will be more than prepared. Not to mention, people will be more confident in you if they know you've received the proper training." His eyes darted to each face, attempting to gauge their reaction, though it lingered mostly on Asami's.

She narrowed her eyes in silent contemplation. The idea was brilliant, but how would the people respond to having a temporary replacement Overseer? Was she comfortable enough to allow someone to hold her position of power, the one she was born to take? And who could she possibly put into the position? That seemed to be the most important question.

"Saying I do entertain this idea. Who did you have in mind for this replacement?" She stared into Noatak's eyes, jade eyes piercing into grey ones. He didn't even hesitate before he responded.

"Myself, of course. I don't mean to over-qualify myself compared to anyone else who might consider themselves right for the position." He paused for any of them to speak up, and when he received silence he continued. "I am in charge of the trading imports and exports, as you all know. And I think I do well at my job. Trading is an absolute necessity when it comes to the survival of our vault. This is why our vault was created! To bring together the brilliant minds of the city to help with the fallout after the Great War. And the Commonwealth recognizes our contributions and engineering ingenuity. We've created water purifiers, engines and several other machines that help improve the life of the every day person in the wastelands. I have had several opportunities to work close with Hiroshi. I believe myself capable of assuming the role as temporary Overseer, if you would allow it, ma'am." At the end of his statement many comments of disagreement flew from the other members present. Most revolving around how 'A temporary Overseer would never work' and 'The people will never follow someone who is not a Sato!'. Noatak did nothing to respond to these comments and simply continued to stare at the Heiress, silently awaiting a response. She mulled over his words thoughtfully and a small flicker of hope burned in her chest. Maybe they would stand a chance. But was this her actual concern for her people, or a selfishness for her own youth and bitterness towards her father up and leaving? As the room became louder she finally spoke up. Her irritation was growing and she knew based off the time of night tempers would soon be flaring. Everyone was exhausted, confused and scared. She had to make a decision.

"I think that idea will be the best solution to this problem." She stated clearly and immediately the room grew silent. All heads turned to look at her in disbelief and immediately after disagreements were thrown at her, along with some distasteful words about her irresponsibility. With a quick slap of her hand to the table the entire room hushed, her eyes narrowed dangerously as she looked at the group of people before her.

"My decision was not up for debate!" Her voice seeped venom, daring any of them to speak against her again. None of the eyes in the room could meet her own except for the familiar grey she had been looking at for most of the meeting.

"I'm not prepared for this. And I assure you, ALL of you, I will dedicate myself these next 3 years to properly train for my role as your Overseer. But right now, it would be more detrimental to all of us if I assumed the role without being ready. I have no desire for power, only the desire to take care of my people and lead us through another successful generation of living and prosperity." Her voice quieted as she spoke the last sentence, making her sincerity in her words known to the people in front of her. They seemed to contemplate her statement, though some still seemed wary about the decision. She decided to end whatever arguments that might have ensued by standing up, garnering all their attention once again. "Noatak, meet me in the Overseer's officer at 9am. We'll discuss the details further and introduce you to the residents as we work out all the kinks. Dismissed." Her word was final and as she spoke it everyone stood from their seats in practiced unison, following Asami out of the room as she left. An uneasiness began to settle in her stomach for reasons unknown to her and she couldn't seem to shake the feeling she could've swore she saw Noatak smirking before she had left the room.

****{Present Day}** **

A quiet groan of discomfort echoed through the walls of the confined space Asami was in. She had been pondering that dreadful experience nearly everyday for the past two years. She constantly mulled over her decision, berating herself for having fallen into Noatak's trap. Could she even call it that? Despite Noatak's initial eagerness to train and learn with the heiress about their new found responsibilities as Overseer, the excitement was short lived and soon Asami found herself spending more time fixing the machinery that frequently broke down around the vault rather than learning how to be a proper Overseer. The initial distraction of being thrown into engineering work was welcome. She got to partake in a hobby that she loved more than anything. She finally got to focus on what she truly enjoyed; making and fixing machines, or better yet, improving their current machinery for easy living. But now, as the realization that her inauguration was simply a year away, panic began to overrun where her former giddiness settled. She was afraid, nervous, and more than anything else, she was angry. Angry at herself for not focusing on her responsibilities and realizing her freedom was short lived. Angry at her father for suddenly leaving and sticking her with this shit show. Angry at Noatak for distracting her from receiving proper training while he basically turned everything her father worked towards around. The vault had formerly engineered products that would help sustain a decent life of living for those less fortunate to live outside the safe confines of a vault. In a few short months Noatak ceased production of those machines completely and began a new, dangerous line of work; Guns.

The random shift in production caused a discomfort and unrest among Asami and her fellow vault dwellers, but who dare speak against the current Overseer? Surely Asami would be the only one with enough power to question his decision, but alternatively it was her own agreement to put him in the position to make those kinds of judgments.

The familiar feeling of a headache began to edge its way to the corner of her eyes, forcing her to scrunch her forehead uncomfortably. All these pesky thoughts were forcing her stress levels through the roof and she had no means to alleviate that stress.. Well, very little means.

Her mind began to wander to the night prior as she recalled her time alone with Iroh. He had just been relieved of duty, still warm and sweaty from his shift. The mere thought of his heated body pressed flush against hers and his familiar, musky scent caused a throb in her stomach that immediately plummeted to her core. She began to chew on her lip thoughtfully as memories flooded her mind of their physical relationship. Her body laid out comfortably on her bed. Iroh climbing between her legs with his member stood at attention. The sound of skin slapping against skin as he thrust into her, relieving her of her stress and frustrations from the day, if only temporarily. Her nails scraping across his back, arms, hips.. really whatever she could reach that would keep her hands occupied. And her moans, echoing throughout her room and very possibly alerting any person that might be nearby.

She shuddered at the thought of them being intimate, a warmth pooling between her legs. She began to rub her thighs together to achieve some sort of relief from the painful throb, though the movement was in vain. There were few options that would rid her of her discomfort, but thankfully she didn't need to rely on her own means to get off.

A loud knocking startled her from her hazy daydreaming, a familiar face peering into the hatch of the duct. It was as if some invisible God had answered her silent plea for sexual stimulation. She began to crawl her way out of the cramped duct, a new eagerness in her movements. It didn't take long for her to wiggle out of the space and forget her reason for entering it to begin with. The wires could certainly wait, her own needs were top priority at the moment. She stood up after removing herself from her confines, flipping her raven locks over her shoulder as she addressed the man with a charming smile. Despite how sweet her smile seemed, her eyes told a different story entirely, eyeing the security guard up and down as if she were staring at a piece of meat she was about to ravage... the thought wasn't entirely untrue.

"Asami, it's good to see you. What were you..." He trailed off as he noticed the woman's eyes scanning their surroundings, as if searching for another person. The thought confused him considering they were the only two around, but it didn't stop him from addressing the question on his mind.

"Err.. you okay? Did I interr-" He was promptly cut off as ruby red lips crashed into his own, teeth clashing against teeth in the abrupt kiss. He was caught off guard, but only momentarily. Within seconds his hands were on her hips and their bodies were pulled flush against one another. She lifted one of her hands to grasp the back of his neck, her nails scraping lightly against his flesh. The shiver that followed after wasn't lost on her, and she could only smirk before she allowed her tongue to slip from between her lips, teasingly grazing his bottom lip. A soft groan accompanied the teasing contact, though what she wasn't expecting was for him to pull back, his breathing heavy with excitement.

"Asami I can't.. I only have 20 minutes before I need to go back. Wait unti-" He was once again cut off by a rough kiss, though instead of tongue she opted to grasp his bottom lip with her teeth gently, pulling back enough to release his lip with a soft pop. His words did little to deter her sexual frustration. Asami Sato knew what she wanted and if she didn't have to wait.. well then she wouldn't.

She slid her free hand down to lightly graze her fingers over the cloth in his crotch area, testing what their little friend had to say about his hesitance. What she discovered caused one of her eyebrows to raise mockingly, her hand going from teasing brushes to fully cupping his crotch. The smirk that graced her lips was seductive, urging him to try and argue her next words. "It seems Jr. here won't be able to wait until later. Isn't that right?" She gently squeezed the member, forcing his hips to jerk forward involuntarily. A soft growl accompanied the darkening gaze in his eyes, causing Asami to once again grasp her lip between her teeth as a shiver ran down her spine. Despite her heart rate speeding up, she managed to whisper out her next words in a rasp, her eyes narrowing challengingly. "So what are you waiting for, officer? That's a direct order."

A yelp quickly followed after her bold statement as she was lifted from the ground, her back suddenly pressed against the cold metal of the wall. She felt a rush of heat slither down to her core as Iroh stepped between her legs, holding her up easily as he began to reach for the buttons of his jumpsuit near his crotch. She quickly wrapped her legs around his waist, negating any further attempts or thoughts he might have for escape. Their gazes never broke until he finally moved his head forward, brushing his lips softly against her cheek until he was able to growl into her ear.

"Yes ma'am."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello again! I hope you enjoyed the first chapter to this fic. I do have more chapters prepared in advance but I am more than happy to take recommendations/feedback/questions/predictions of the futre and etc. I hope none of you are dissapointed in the lack of description regarding the sexual nature of Iroh and Asami's relationship at the end. I have no problem writing heterosexual sexual content but I am under the assumption that those two are not the ones you want to be reading about. Let me know and stay tuned for more updates!


	2. Big Decisions

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey everyone, Chappy here. So I decided to throw in a few extra chapters much earlier than previously anticipated. The reasoning for this is because I want to show my readers what direction this story is taking and they can decide then if they want to continue following. Unfortunately by doing so my updates will most likely go from every 2-3 days to 4-5. Hope you enjoy!

"Soo.. you and Iroh." The woman that sat adjacent to Asami lifted her eyebrow knowingly, encouraging her friend to expand on what she was saying.

Asami coughed into her cup violently, her eyes widening in a silent panic at the sudden statement. Her eyes peered nervously around the room, looking out for any nearby person that might be eavesdropping. Thankfully they were alone in the lounge area, but that didn't help ease her nerves. She didn't want anyone trying to poke their noses into her private life, including her best friend.

"Seriously, Opal? Why don't you just tell the whole vault about us!" Asami hissed quietly through her teeth, her eyes narrowing dangerously. She took another sip of her drink, attempting to ease the ache in her throat from her chocking moments ago. Her eyes never left her friends, daring her to say more. Apparently the woman was more than happy to oblige.

"Maybe if you would just tell me some juicy details I wouldn't be desperate for information. I'll just have to go asking around to see if anyone else can satisfy my curiosity..." She trailed off on her sentence as mischievous eyes glanced at her friend, a small smirk present on her lips.

“Humph. Why are you so interested in what we do anyways?” Jade eyes widened in playful mockery as she brought her hand to her mouth, feigning a gasp as she stared at her friend. “Opal Beifong… are you jealous?”

Asami hid her smile behind her hand, attempting to keep up the playful act as long as possible. She was well aware her friend didn’t harbor any feelings for Iroh. Opal was beautiful afterall. A dark, short bob cut graced her head while she was blessed with beautiful, emerald eyes similar to her own. Her skin was a few shades darker than Asami’s, though that wasn’t difficult to achieve considering her porcelain skin tone. She could have just about anyone she wanted in the vault.

Opal rolled her eyes at the statement, a mischievous smirk present on her lips as she played along. Her voice became over-dramatic, as if she were in a play. 

“Oh Asami, you’ve caught me! I am green with envy! But not of you… No. I’m jealous of Iroh. Jealous that he gets to take such a magnificent woman to bed while I’m stuck with Ole Reliable,” She lifted her right hand, “and Cramp Relief.” She lifted her left hand, making sure to know which hand was named what. 

Asami’s face began to heat up, her cheeks turning a dark shade of red at the sexual innuendo. The blush only seemed to encourage her friend to continue her dramatics.

“Oh how I wish I could be the one to make you kick and break things while you’re moaning my na-”

She was abruptly cut off by a pair of porcelain hands covering her mouth, ceasing any further attempts to speak. Opal lifted her eyebrow victoriously as she stared at her friend’s face, the color of it similar to that of a ripe tato plant.

Once Asami was sure her friend wouldn’t continue with that train of thought she slowly removed her hands from the mouth they were covering. She opted instead to cover her own face to hide her embarrassment, murmuring between her fingers

“I never should have told you about that.” She began to recall the particular memory that her friend was referencing. The sex that night with Iroh had been particularly rough, her legs completely spread as she was plunged into. He had hit a sensitive spot with one of his thrusts, causing her leg to kick out and knock over one of her prized Vault-Tec Bobbleheads. Unfortunately the accessory was broken beyond repair and from that night on she had learned to keep breakable objects away from her bed during their nightly activities.

As interested in that train of thought that she was, reality was a bitter bitch and the P.A. interrupted her daydreams, announcing the time was 3pm. With a heavy sigh Asami stood from her seat, her light mood dampening as she thought about the meeting she had in 30 minutes with Noatak. Her best friend could easily sense the change in mood and attempted to lighten it with her own awful sense of humor.

“Listen, when you get back from your meeting with Mr. StickUpMyAss I expect a full, detailed report on what happened lastnight with you-know-who! And try not think about all that yummy goodness while you’re in your meeting.” Opal began to grin as her friend started mock gagging at the thought.

“As if I could think of anything like that with him! He’s such a fucking creep…” She punctuated her statement with another gag, though a smile was ever present on her lips. She cleared her throat and pointed an accusing finger at her friend. “And you’re just as creepy for being so nosey about what I do at night.” She feigned a scowl, attempting at an upset expression. Her friend merely shrugged her shoulders innocently, as if it was no big deal.

“Hey, a girl’s got to get her rocks off somehow. Not everyone can just go around fucking the hottest guard around.” A smirk once again graced her lips, raising her eyebrows in a challenge to her friend to rebut her words.

“Okay, ew.” Asami stuck her tongue out distastefully, shaking her head slowly. “I do not want to think about you touching yourself to me and Iroh hav- Nope. No. I’m not even going to go there.” She continued to shake her head as she twisted on her heels and walked away from her friend, throwing her arms up in the air in defeat as Opal’s laughter rang throughout the room.

“Good luck, Sami the Salami!” Opal was the only person in the vault with enough balls to refer to her in such a humiliating manner. That was part of the reason they were best friends. Asami flashed her a smile over her shoulder before she exited the room.

\------

 

 

“Ms. Sato. A pleasure to see you, as always.” Noatak greeted the heiress as she walked into the Overseer office, though his greeting meant little when he barely looked up from his paperwork to notice her. She cleared her throat, her slim eyebrow arching as she waited for him to give a proper introduction. Sure, he was the current Overseer. But that didn’t mean he would blatantly disrespect her, especially since the position was in all technicality hers.

Upon hearing her he finally lifted his grey eyes to look at her, though he made it seem as if he were looking at a pile of trash rather than his future boss. With a silent sigh he finally focused on the woman standing before him, leaning back in his seat so she received his undivided attention. Satisfied with his body language she sat down across from him, one leg crossing over the other as she began immediately with their meeting. She didn’t wish to prolong this any further than needed.

“My becoming the Overseer is less than a year away and it’s about time that we finally get down to business. I NEED to start overtaking some of the responsibilities to better transition when the time comes.” She peered into his eyes to gauge his reaction, though he only seemed to contemplate her words for mere moments before responding.

“Ms. Sato, as you know I’ve been incredibly busy with trying to clean up the mess YOUR father left. I just haven’t had the time to help you along in your training. Though if you’re so set on taking some responsibilities, I’ll be more than happy to present to you some technical problems we’ve been having around the vault.”

She managed to keep from rolling her eyes at his statement. She had been working on their “technical problems” for the last two years. She knew this place and it’s inner-workings inside and out. She needed more.

“I could dissassemble this entire vault and put it back together with eyes closed. I need to be exposed to the more practical issues of how this place is run.”

“And what do you have in mind?”

“I need to be present during the trades with the wastelanders.” Her statement was simple yet it garnered a surprising response from the Overseer.

“That’s not going to happen.” Despite the calm in his voice the heiress was aware she had just stepped on some landmine. She pushed further, her eyebrow lifting in curiosity.

“And why is that? You don’t exactly have a choice, Noatak. Trading is apart of the responsibility of the Overseer. And as I recall you saying, this vault thrives and survives on our trading. Even though you’ve managed to make a mockery of it by forcing our vault-dwellers to make killing machines rather than ones that will actually help people.” Her voice remained steady though she had every intention of hurting the man with her words.

A scowl quickly plastered to his features as she spoke, his response immediate as he leaned forward, as if looking down on her. His eyes peered at her with nothing but disgust.

“I did what was best for our people. There are dangerous men out there who would be more than happy to swarm this vault and take it as their own. What I’m doing is keeping their anger at bay, something I wouldn’t expect a child like you to understand.” His eyes never left hers, green clashing with grey as they had a silent standoff between their gazes. She wouldn’t falter, his words only steeled her resolve.

“Don’t make me laugh, Noatak. Keeping us safe? By what? Better arming these people who don’t seem to have any qualms with attacking us? This vault is impenetrable! Even if they did manage to get in, there’s no way they’d survive against our security force. It’s damn near impossible!”

He scoffed at her statement, leaning back in his chair once more to clasp his fingers together, taking on the demeanor of a calm businessman.

“Clearly it is not impenetrable. I mean, your father managed to leave without a single person knowing, including you.” She could see his lips twitch upwards into a smirk, though the moment was only brief. She couldn’t stop herself from flinching at his words, the topic still a very sensitive one. She inhaled deeply, though a bit unsteadily, and slowly released it to keep from lunging across the table and decking him across his smug face. After a moment of silence she finally spoke.

“This is not up for debate. I will be present during the next transaction. End of discussion. You may be the Overseer right now, but remember who the position really belongs to. You’re just a temporary replacement, and I would highly suggest you not get on the bad side of the woman who will be leading you in less than a year. We wouldn’t want for a brilliant mind like yours to be on reactor duty for the rest of their lives…” She eyed him closely, almost warily. He seemed like a predator just waiting for the opportunity to pounce on their prey. When she didn’t receive a response in return she stood up from her seat, announcing the end of their meeting. She felt uneasy about turning her back to him, as if he would gladly take the opportunity to shoot her when she wasn’t looking, but she wouldn’t allow him the benefit of knowing she had such a fear. As she exited the Overseer office she could practically feel his eyes burning into the back of her head.

______

 

 

“So what? He was just being his normal asshole self. Why are you so worried about it, Sami?” Opal was sprawled out on her bed, her attention captivated by some comicbook. The two girls had rendezvous into Asami’s room later that night, giving her the opportunity to relay the odd meeting she had earlier that day.

“I don’t know Opal… He seems off. Like, completely different from when we had the meeting 2 years ago. It was his idea for a temporary replacement. But after today… Opal, I don’t think he is going to be as willing to step down as I thought. The way he looked at me. It was like I was a radroach he was just waiting to stomp on.” She finished her statement with a sigh, twirling a pen around absent-mindedly between her fingers.

“He doesn’t have a choice, Asami. You’re the rightful heir to the spot and the people will back you up when the time comes. You just have to wait a little longer, it’ll all work out.” Opal began to kick her feet in the air and the movement distracted Asami, her eyes following the slow movement for no apparent reason. She couldn’t snap herself from her own thoughts and began to speak them out loud instead.

“I asked him why he switched the production to weapons and he said it was to keep us safe. But that doesn't make sense. What could possibly hurt us in here?”

Opal scoffed at the statement, setting her comicbook down to peer at her friend as she voiced her distress.

“If you ask me he’s making big guns to make up for other areas in his life.” Opal put her hands to her mouth and cupped it as if she were going to shout, though her words came out as a loud whisper instead. “He has a little dickkkk.”

Asami began to sputter out laughter at the statement, placing her forehead in her free hand at the absurd statement. Though was it really that farfetched? The thought dissapeared as quickly as it came. __NO, Asami, don’t even think about his old man dick__.

“But you know who I hear doesn’t have a little dick?” Opal leaned towards her friend and began to waggle her eyebrows suggestively, earning a loud groan from the raven haired beauty at the abrupt topic change.

“Is that all you seriously think about?” She was exasperated, tired of waving off her friends curiosity in her sex life. “Why don’t you just fuck him and find out yourself?”

“You’d be okay with that?” Her eyebrows shot up clear to her bangs, surprise gracing the young girls features at the bold statement.

“Ofcourse, why wouldn’t I be?” Her eyebrows furrowed in confusion, as if the idea of her best friend fucking the same guy as her was no big deal. Which, to Asami, it truly wasn’t. Her and Iroh were nothing more than friends who fuck frequently. She had no intention of dating him, not right now atleast. She was already under the assumption he saw other women and the thought didn’t bother her.

“Well, y’know.. Because you and him are a thing? Or I thought you were. And besides! His dick has been in you! And then if it went in me it’d almost be like you and I…” She furrowed her brows in her desperate explanation and instead opted to use her hands instead. She lifted both of her hands into the “peace” sign then began to mash the middles of the V’s together, rubbing her finger crotches against one another. She stuck her tongue out in concentration as she did so, hoping Asami would catch on to what she was saying. Asami only stared confusedly at the gesture, not really sure where her friend was going with this. Before she could open her mouth to question her there was a loud, hasty knock at her door.

“Come in.” She stated, turning her attention to the door and away from her friend. The last time she had received a guest this late at night was to announce her overtaking responsibility as Overseer and that thought filtered a feeling of anxiety into the pit of her stomach. 

The door opened and Iroh rushed in frantically, garbed in his security uniform. His eyes were trained solely on Asami, wide with worry. The look startled the heiress; she had never seen him in this state of dissarray before. He opened his mouth to speak, throwing all caution and formalities to the wind, before he noticed there was another guest in the room. His eyes nearly bulged out of his head at the realization and he quickly regained his composure, snapping his hand up to his helmet in a salute. Asami couldn’t help but chuckle at him, waving her hand dismissively.

“It’s fine, Iroh. Opal kinda knows about us already. No need to be professional around her, she’s nobody important.” The heiress shot a grin to her friend and received a rude gesture in return, the younger girl’s middle finger lifting in the air in response. Asami rolled her eyes, smiling despite herself. “Real mature. Anyways, everything okay, Iroh? You seem a litte… dishevelled.”

As soon as he was given permission he dropped his hand from his forehead though the panic still remained present on his expression. He opened his mouth to once again speak but closed it as his eyes darted over to Opal. The woman lifted her hands in surrender in response to his hesitance to speak in front of her.

“I can tell when I’m not wanted. I’ll just head back to my room for the night.” The woman began to move towards the door but was stopped by a firm grasp on her wrist. Slender fingers wrapped delicately around her wrist and Opal looked at Asami with a raised brow. Asami, on the otherhand, was only staring at Iroh, her brows furrowed.

“Anything you need to say to me can be said in front of her.” Her eyes finally darted to her friends, jade eyes meeting one another. There was a silent plea in the heiress’ eyes and Opal could only nod as she moved to stand beside her friend, staring at the guard in silence.

He continued to hesitate to speak until an irritated glare from Asami herself met his eyes. Steeling himself he began to speak, though he chose his words carefully. “How did your meeting go today?” Despite it being a question, it almost seemed as if he knew the answer. Regardless, she responded to him.

“Well, there were a few negatives exchanges. Some disagreements. The usual when it comes to meeting him. Why do you ask?”

“What kind of disagreements?” He ignored her question and continued on, as if pressuring her to give the right answer, even if she didn’t know what it was.

“Well, he doesn’t really want me apart of the trading business. And he seems to think that building guns is what’s best for all of us. Then he brought up my father…” Her voice quieted at the statement and she could feel Opal grasp her shoulder reassuringly, offering silent support. After taking a deep breath Asami continued, though now she was the one to ask the questions. “Why do you want to know? What’s going on?” She pressed, eyeing the man with the kind of stomach-curdling glare she knew she was capable of.

The man remained silent for a long moment, contemplating answering the question as honestly as he should. But he knew that leaving things out would only harm what he was trying to get across to her.

“The Overseer was in a tizzy after your meeting. Fuming about how impudent you had become. I didn’t want to stand-by why he bad-mouthed you but there wasn’t much else I could do. But when he was finished, he pulled a few of the other officers to the side. One of them was…” He glanced at Opal before continuing. “Bataar Jr. Beifong. He’s been a heavy supporter in Noatak’s reign, especially when he switched our production to guns.”

“He has always been a bit of a danger seeker.” Opal added in, recalling her brother’s excitement over studying weapons rather than improving the electric supply current that their engines were producing. Iroh nodded at the statement before continuing.

“Asami… I have this feeling. Just call it a gut feeling. But I think they’re planning something for you. Bataar and a few other guards have expressed their interest in Noatak staying as Overseer for a few months now. But no matter their opinion you’re still the rightful heir. That’s why…” He stopped again, his eyes skating across the ground as he once again considered his words. Whatever was bothering him, he needed to hurry and get it out already. With a deep breath he finally continued, though the words were rushed. “Asami I think they’re going to hurt you.” He froze after his statement, as if shocked he had said it out loud. A heavy silence filled the air as the words sunk in. Finally, after what seemed like hours but was only a few seconds, a sudden laughter shattered the silence. Both Iroh and Opal looked at Asami with raised eyebrows, taken aback by her reaction to the statement.

Asami leaned over and grasped her stomach as she continued to laugh, shaking her head incredulously. How could he come to such a far-fetched conclusion? Asami had never experienced danger in her life, aside from the occasional electric shock she received when working. Ofcourse, there was the contagions that were present that took her mother, but she was too young to understand the dire situation she was in. Regardless, the idea that someone would dare try to lay a finger on her was ridiculous. She eventually slowed her laughter and looked at the people around her, heir faces remaining stoic and serious. She couldn’t help but roll her eyes at their expressions.

“Seriously you two? You think anyone in here would be stupid enough to try and hurt me? Especially Noatak? He’s a coward!” She began to chuckle again managing to reign in her humor while she continued shaking her head.

“Asami this is serious!” He raised his voice, startling the girl out of her laughing fit. He had never spoke to her like this before and the tone of voice threw her off. She cleared her throat as she looked into amber eyes, attempting to search them to find any hints of doubt. She found none.

“Ofcourse Noatak wouldn’t do anything himself, that would be foolish. He’d be the first suspect. But what about the officers he met with? I’ve worked with them for a long time and I know they’re not above doing shady business if it benefits them.”

“And what exactly would they benefit from by helping him?” Opal spoke up, her expression matching the serious one of Iroh’s. She couldn’t possibly be entertaining this idea, could she? Asami remained silent, listening to their input.

“Noatak has been talking of a new super weapon, one that Bataar has been drooling over for months now. I’m sure he could promise him a spot on the research team. Then there’s Tarrlok. He’s been power hungry ever since he became an officer. He’s been pressing for Chief Beifong’s position for a long time. He doesn’t “agree with how things are run”. And it’s no secret that Beifong and Noatak don’t see eye to eye.” As he was speaking Iroh began to pace nervously around the room. Asami could feel her own nerves starting to get the best of her. She began piecing all the bits of information together, trying to find some validity or holes in his statement. Her analytical mind began to piece and tear apart the problem trying to put together a proper solution.

Iroh was always known for his nerves of steel and never seemed to overreact. He thought first and acted later, something that made him an amazing officer. Sure, Asami had laughed off his earlier views of her possible harm, but listening to his reasoning behind it was almost verifying his statement from earlier. Was she really in danger? A squeeze to her shoulder forced her to look up at her friend and what she saw could have shook any resolve she had. Opal’s eyes were wide with fear, her skin paling a bit. Whatever Iroh had said must have held truth to the young girl. Seeing her best friend reduced to this level of fear caused her to tremble slightly, as if the reality of her situation was just now sinking in. Finally the silence was broke again, though the voice was shaky and quiet.

“So what do we do now?” Opal asked softly, her hand squeezing a bit harder on the heiress’ shoulder. Asami could barely focus on the words as she stared blankly at the ground, the gravity of the situation finally weighing down on her. It did make sense. Noatak’s behavior, the secrets between him and some of the dirtiest officers on the force, his arrogance during their meeting. She closed her eyes and forced herself to listen to whatever solution Iroh came up with, though the response was more heart-breaking than she was prepared for.

“Asami, we need to get you out of here. Out of the vault.” She suddenly sprung to her feet, her eyes wide at such an absurd statement.

“You’re kidding, right?! I can’t abandon my people and leave them here while this place gets run into the ground!”

“It’s the only solution! What else would you have us do? Rally the members of the vault and cause a war among ourselves? Sure, you’d win, but at what cost? The citizens don’t get weapons. Only guards are allowed to carry them.” Iroh wasn’t yelling, but the force of his words struck her as if he was. She didn’t return to her chair and instead thought on his words carefully. He had a point. Sure, she would have the numbers from her people and they could easily overrun the corrupt trash that was running their vault. But would they lay down their arms or put up a fight? And what kind of leader would she be if she dare put her people in harms way for her own glory? And that isn’t to say people wouldn’t hold grudges and attempt to remove her from power in the future.

“It wouldn’t be the worst idea, Asami. I mean, Hiroshi did it… Maybe people would chalk it up as another ‘Institute kidnapping’. Keeping it in the family.” Opal’s voice was soft as she spoke, careful not to trample over her friends heart at such a sensitive topic. Unfortunately, the words needed to be said.

Asami didn’t respond and silently brooded, her lip jutting out in a pout, though it was trembling. Her eyes were glazed over with unshed tears and she could feel two pairs of arms wrap around her body. The attempt at comfort was noted but did little to help the heiress. She finally spoke, albeit a small whisper that wouldn’t have been heard if not for the close proximity. “What now?”

“We get you out of here.” Iroh mumbled into her hair, eyes opening determinedly. “Listen, I’m apart of the trading export. We have a shipment heading out tomorrow and you’re going to be going out with it. Here’s the plan.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's about time we start getting to some action. Let me know what you think! Also, how were the time transitions? I couldn't find a good way to introduce a time skip so I hope it didn't confuse any of you. 'Till next time.


	3. The Great Escape

Asami shook, her body tensing in the darkness as the voices grew closer to their hiding spot. She searched the dark for Opal’s eyes, hoping to find some strength or security in those jade pupils. Unfortunately she couldn’t make out much within their confined space and that only scared the heiress further. She could hear a loud growl just outside of her hiding spot and the sound sent shivers down her spine. Her breathing rate suddenly increased, her eyes slamming shut as she heard footsteps approaching.

“Naga, what’s wrong girl?” The woman’s voice spoke above the growls, her steps growing louder as she neared them. It was as if Asami’s senses were hypersensitive and she was able to hear each crunch of the steps that drew closer. Finally the footsteps stopped and Asami held her breath in fear that even the slightest noise would give them away. Unfortunately the notion was in vain as the woman spoke again.

“Guys, get over here. I think we’ve got something.”

****{Earlier that day}** **

Iroh peeked around the corner leading to the vault stock room. With a quick flick of his hand he announced to the two women the coast was clear and they were safe to follow. The women filed in behind him the door siding shut behind them. Both their jaws dropped as they peered around the area, their eyes wide in awe.

Several crates were stacked amongst one another in the room, each one stamped by a different design to show what contents lay inside. The room smelled heavily of metal and some kind of powder that neither women could place off the top of their head. It wasn’t the boxes that surprised the women, though. No. It was the quantity of them that had them shocked. They had both become aware of the exchange of weapons that Noatak had with people outside the vault, but the sheer number of boxes would be enough to supply atleast another 3 vaults. Where could he possibly be getting the materials to mass produce so much product? Unfortunately Asami didn’t have the time to ponder on the question before Iroh was ripping the top off of one of the crates, revealing it to be empty. The crate was located on what seemed to be a wagon and it was surrounded by a few other crates. It blended in perfectly. He stared at both women expectantly but Asami hesitated. She spared a glance at her friend, her forehead crinkled in worry.

“Opal, you really don’t have to do this. I can’t take you away from your home. I don’t know what waits for us out there. You could be putting your life in danger!”

A tan hand slid into the air to silence the heiress’ rant. The look on Opal’s face told her her leaving was not up for debate.

“Asami, you wouldn’t last out there without me. What would you do without your cute, trusty sidekick?” Despite the joking tone of voice she could tell Opal was just as terrified as she was for this sudden jump in their lives. As Asami opened her mouth to argue she was cut off once again. “Besides, I don’t want to stay here if this place is going to be as bad as I think it is. I’d rather be out there in the unknown with my best friend than be here with Noatak running this place.” A soft smile graced the younger girls features and, despite Asami’s protests, she felt extremely relieved that she wouldn’t be taking this journey by herself.

A hand brushing her shoulder returned her to their situation as she turned to look at Iroh, forcing her expression to be as calm as possible when facing the man. There was a silent conversation between them, feelings and words being relayed through their gazes rather than spoken aloud. A few moments later Asami rushed into his arms and he wrapped them protectively around her body. She could feel a few tears sliding down her cheeks as she realized this may very well be their last goodbye. She felt his nose burrow into her hair, his arms squeezing her tightly as if he would never let her go again. He murmured quietly, his voice muffled slightly by her hair. “I’m going to find you. One way or another I’ll find you and bring you back home. I promise.”

She only closed her eyes as he finished speaking, knowing there was no possible way he could for sure keep his promise. Regardless, the sentiment was much appreciated. She felt one of his arms slowly slip from her body and extend outwards, inviting Opal into their hug. As she felt her friend snuggle into their bodies she allowed herself to feel one more moment of safety, as if she wasn’t about to throw herself into the unknown world of monsters and nuclear aftermath.

Finally she managed to extract herself from his protective embrace and she immediately felt a heavy weight on her chest. There were words she felt she needed to say to the man, but her heart couldn’t seem to conjure up what her mind wanted to say. It only seemed appropriate but Asami Sato was not a liar. And she wouldn’t do that to a man she would most likely never see again. So instead she brushed her lips softly against his cheek as her final farewell and lifted herself into the open container. She noticed two metallic objects laying at the bottom of the crate. The objects shape seemed to match some of the stamps that were located on the other boxes around the storage area and she immediately put two and two together; guns. She picked up the object that seemed to fit perfectly in her hand, twisting the item as her engineer mind began to disassemble it to understand its inner-workings. Unfortunately she didn’t have much time to figure out how the thing worked before Opal slid in next to her in the crate, their bodies mashed up against one another uncomfortably. She glanced at her friend before peering up at Iroh questioningly. He was quick to answer her look.

“Use that to defend yourself if you have to. Just aim and pull the trigger, the gun will do the rest.”

Asami swallowed some bile in her throat at the thought of having to defend herself at whatever was out there. Would she really have to turn to using a weapon for means of survival? Her thoughts were interrupted as the lid to the crate was resealed above them and they became flushed in darkness.

_____

 

 

Small bits of light filtered in through the cracks of the crate Asami and Opal were stashed in. There wasn’t nearly enough room in this enclosed space for two people. Their limbs were tangled and mashed together uncomfortably, leaving no space for movement and very little for breathing. Asami’s lungs urged her to escape from this tiny box and breathe in a huff of fresh air and the idea was very tempting. But the voices outside of her container reminded her of her predicament and forced her to remain quiet. Every now and then her box would jolt uncomfortably after hitting a bump and the feeling made her nearly cry out in discomfort. Instead she opted to chew on her lip to keep her voice quiet. Her limbs ached and finally, after what felt like hours, there was a sudden halt in all movements. She could once again hear voices outside of her crate but this time new ones entered the conversation. A woman’s voice rang out amongst the dialogue and Asami strained to hear the conversation.

“Why is there an extra box? We were only suppose to pick up four.” The woman’s voiced dripped with suspicion. Her voice was a bit deeper than most women Asami knew but held an unmistakable authority to it. She heard a rustling of papers before the familiar voice of Iroh responded.

“Noatak is sending it in advance as an apology. The next few shipments won’t hold as much stock due to some changes going on with production. But he would like you to relay to Zaheer that he will make up for lack of products when everything is taken care of.” Despite Iroh knowing the severity of the situation, Asami couldn’t help but silently commend him on his ability to keep his cool. She held her breath as she waited to see if the other party would take the bait.

A loud grunt sounded, the woman’s voice once again ringing out, though this time it was harsh. “I’m not your fucking messenger girl. Tell him yourself. I couldn’t care less.”

Asami narrowed her eyes in the darkness, biting her tongue to keep from speaking out. Who does this girl think she is talking to him like that? She could hear Iroh clear his throat, brushing off the rude statement as if it were a common occurrence. “Yes, well. I’ll make sure to let the Overseer know. Do you need any help, ma’am?” Oh Iroh, ever the gentleman. Bless his heart.

Her box shifted suddenly, both her and Opal’s hands clasping to their mouths to keep from yelping out in surprise. She could hear the people that were lifting their box grunt with the exertion it took to lift them. The shift in movement was brief before they were settled back down and their crate became still again. Unfortunately she could only hear muffled voices now, having been moved further away from the two talking. It took every bit of willpower to keep from bursting out the top of the crate and running back to the security and safety of her home and everything she knew.

Unfortunately her opportunity was quickly shattered as she felt a lurch and they began to move once again. The small bumps in the road once again called for an uncomfortable ride, but this time she was much closer and could hear their escorts speaking once again.

“Y’know, you should really start checking the stock to make sure they aren’t skimping out.” A mans voice spoke out sounding a bit agitated.

“Ha! Those entitled scaredy cats aren’t stupid enough to mess with Zaheer. Their fucking leader isn’t even man enough to come out and handle this shit on his own. Just sends his guard dogs.” A few chuckles accompanied the woman’s statement before she continued. “Besides if they want to take a risk then fuck’em. Whatever Zaheer does to them they probably deserve it anyways. They can get a taste of what it’s like to live on the outside instead of being pampered their entire lives.” The distaste in the woman’s voice was very apparent. It was as if she were spitting on Asami and Opal’s way of life without giving them a chance to defend themselves. A new voice spoke out this time, another male’s but his seemed different, a bit lighter almost with a childlike innocence.

“Aww come on! Don’t say that. Could you just imagine what it’s like? Having a comfy bed to sleep in and fresh drinking water.” The man sighed dreamily, his voice sounding far away as he continued to speak. “No more radiation storms. No more fighting all the time. That would be awesome… And I bet the vault women are sexy. No scars or dirt in places it shouldn’t be. And they’re probably way nicer than women of the Commonwealth.” A throat clearing hushed the man’s voiced thoughts and she could hear the second male in the group suddenly burst out in laughter.

“Korra you’re one of the grossest women I’ve ever met. I’m not sure you even know what a shower is. Don’t start taking offense now just because he described you perfectly. Besides, have you heard yourself speak? I would mistake you for one of the guys if your hair was shorter.”

“And you have big boobs.” The lighter male voice added in and there was a sudden awkward silence for a few moments. The silence was shattered by all three of them bursting into a fit of laughter. What the hell was wrong with these people? If a man had said such a thing to her he would have received a swift slap across the face. Was this normal conversation for people who lived outside the vault? Her thoughts were interrupted by the woman speaking once again.

“I’m not even that bad. You two are overreacting.”

“Korra… you literally had a burping competition with me on our date.” The softer voice of the men spoke out and she could hear the woman scoff in response.

“And I won that competition too. Listen, talk all the shit you two want. Doesn’t replace the fact that I STILL bring home more women than both of you. I guess the ladies can look pass my FUN personality when I’ve got guns like these. BAM!” After the woman shouted her final word a loud groan from both men ensued. Asami tried desperately to peek through any cracks in the box but unfortunately she could only see a bit of light and nothing more. Instead she opted to roll her eyes. Why was everything always about sex?

Suddenly they came to a stop, their box lurching forward slightly. She glanced at Opal, wondering if her friend was looking back at her in the darkness.

“Bo, what the hell? Why are we stopping? It’s only been 15 minutes since we left.” The woman’s voice rang out again, clearly irritated.

“Sorry guys but I gotta go! I can’t hold it!” The man squealed as he jumped off of whatever was carrying them, the object shifting slightly with the sudden loss of weight.

“Like a fucking child.” She heard the woman murmur. “Come on Naga, lets stretch our legs for a minute.”

She heard what sounded like a soft __woof__  before the sounds of nails scraping on wood was heard. Her heart nearly stopped as she noticed the sounds were coming closer to their box rather than getting further away. She could hear something begin to sniff at their box, the noise loud compared to the silence that had engulfed the two women in hiding. Once the sniffing had ceased it was replaced by a loud growl and Asami had to force her heart back to her chest when it tried to leap out of her throat. The thing suddenly let out a terrifying yelp, the sound sending a shiver down her spine as she grasped at her gun desperately.

Asami shook, her body tensing in the darkness as voices grew closer to their hiding spot. She searched the dark for Opal’s eyes, hoping to find some strength or security in those jade pupils. Unfortunately she couldn’t make out much within their confined space and that only scared the heiress further. She could hear another loud growl just outside of her hiding spot and the sound sent shivers down her spine. Her breathing rate suddenly increased, her eyes slamming shut as she heard footsteps approaching.

“Naga, what’s wrong girl?” The woman’s voice spoke above the growls, her steps growing louder as she neared them. It was as if Asami’s senses were hypersensitive and she was able to hear each crunch of the steps that grew closer. Finally the footsteps stopped and Asami held her breath in fear that even the slightest noise would give them away. Unfortunately the notion was in vain as the woman spoke again.

“Guys, get over here. I think we’ve got something.”

 It was as if time stopped and Asami reached out desperately to grab at Opal’s hand to keep her grounded. Thankfully it didn’t take her long to find her friend for comfort. Their silence was broke by a clicking sound, as if something had been slid into place. Two more clicking sounds followed after and the woman’s voice once again rang out.

 “Naga, back.” The growls hadn’t ceased but it was as if they were drawing further away. Another sway was felt as more weight was added to their lift. The silence that followed after was almost more terrifying than the thought of being found. Maybe they were lucky? The people hadn’t done anything so far and perhaps it wasn’t their crate they were suspicious of. Asami could only squeeze Opal’s hand as she silently hoped for a positive outcome. In the silence she could hear the footsteps of two people moving away and she finally released the breath she hadn’t even realized she was holding. She smiled into the darkness, thankful that they had managed to escape their predicament.

She was about ready to let go of her friend when their crate was suddenly kicked and she could feel their bodies flying downwards, most likely being kicked off of the lift they were on. Her body felt weightless as they plummeted to the ground in what felt like several meters but was most likely only a few feet. As they crashed to the ground the top of their box flung open and both their bodies slipped out from the top, landing on the ground with a loud __oof!__ Her raven hair flung in every which way, obscuring her vision for a brief moment.By the time she had managed to gather her bearings and look up from the ground she was suddenly staring down the barrel of another object in the similar shape of her gun.

She had to blink several times, the sudden introduction of light in her field of vision blinding her to the point she couldn’t see anything besides that barrel pointed at her. Asami curled her body a bit tighter on the ground making sure to keep her weapon hidden beneath her body. Iroh’s words rang in her mind. __“Aim and pull the trigger.”__

“Well well, what do we have here? A couple runaways?” The voice was behind her but Asami was too focused on the weapon in front of her to bother looking back at who was talking. A couple moments later she was finally able to make out the figure in front of her, the one that could end her life in a split second.

The man in front of her was tall with spiky black hair and eyes that looked so similar to Iroh’s it made her heart clench slightly. The man had a bit of unshaved stubble around his chin and was clad in a dingy red and white polo shirt with various leather body pieces located over his clothing. A red scarf was wrapped around his neck and Asami couldn’t help but wonder why he would wear that in such intense heat. Her musings were short lived as his voice broke out.

“I told you to check those fucking crates!”

The woman spoke out again, sarcasm present in her tone. “Fuck you, Mako. You don’t tell me what to do. Besides you could have easily checked themself yourself you lazy shit.

“One of us has to be the adult of this group and finish the paperwork. You can’t even manage a few words with those guys without trying to pick a fight you fucking brute.” The man shot back harshly, his gaze leaving Asami to glare in what she assumed was the direction the woman was in. As he looked away Asami gripped the handle of her pistol tighter, debating on whether or not to finally use it. She was outnumbered one to three and her success rate was in the single digits. Sure, she might be able to take one by surprise but that wouldn’t help her or Opal.

Her eyes widened as she recalled her friend was only inches from her and she quickly glanced to her side, whispering beneath her breath. “Opal? Are you okay?”

A few moments passed before she heard a hushed “I’m fine, don’t worry.” Asami breathed out, thankful that her friend wasn’t hurt. It was her fault for putting Opal in this situation anyways. Noticing that the man was still busy arguing with his companion she began to whisper again.

“What are we going to do? Do you still have your gun?”

“No, it fell in the crate when we were pushed over. I don’t kno-”

“Hey! What the fuck are you two whispering about?” The man’s voice cut off their conversation harshly, stepping forward to get closer to them. Asami could only stare at his boots which were now just a small distance from her head. If he felt like it he could easily strike her with a kick.

Both women hushed after being found out, their eyes lowering to the ground. They both seemed to have the same idea; the less they said, the less trouble they could get themselves into. Unfortunately the man put an end to their silent treatment by reaching down and grasping Asami by the arm, roughly jerking her upwards to be face to face with him. In the struggle she had dropped her weapon, the gun bouncing off the ground as it fell from her grasp.

She froze, her eyes widened in fear at what the man was going to do to her after he found out she was harboring a gun. The reaction she received was not what she expected.

A loud laugh erupted behind her, the sound sadistic but also seemed to hold a genuity to it. The laugh came from the mystery woman and Asami desperately wanted to crane her neck to see what was so funny but she was far too frightened to look away from the man’s glare.

“Oh holy shit! She was gonna shoot you Sharky! You’ve always had a way with the ladies. Guess she has more balls than we expected.” At the woman’s words the man began to scowl and Asami silently prayed that whoever this chick was would shut the fuck up before she received a beat down from the angry man. Asami could only offer him an awkward, innocent smile, as if dispelling any truth behind what the woman was saying. She batted her eyelashes, attempting to appear as harmless as possible as she silently relayed a message to the man. _Lil’ ole me? Shoot you? Not with this innocent face._

He didn’t buy it, his grasp squeezing more firmly on her arm which caused her to wince in pain. She wanted to yelp, let the man know he was hurting her, but she wouldn’t dare give him the satisfaction. The woman’s voice spoke out again.

“So what are we gonna do with these pretty ladies, _boss_?” The sarcasm was once again noticeable in her tone and Asami began to wonder if that was her preset voice with how often it was used.

Asami heard Opal suddenly cry out as she too was lifted off the ground. Asami didn’t care if she was manhandled and her own pain didn’t matter. On the other hand, nobody would EVER hurt her best friend while she was around. Her friend’s discomfort caused her to see red and she suddenly jerked out of the distracted man’s grasp. The movement was easier than expected due to him being caught off guard.

She quickly whirled around towards where she saw her friend being lifted and lunged blindly at the person who had dare lay their fingers on her Opal. Thankfully it was the woman of the group and Asami felt fairly confident in herself when she noticed the girl was a few inches shorter than herself.

Asami shot her body forward and rammed her shoulder into the woman, certain that she would knock her down in the process. Unfortunately what she didn’t expect was the feeling of running into a solid object. Even with all her body weight into the shove Asami had only managed to push the woman back a few steps, though it was just enough to pry Opal free from the woman’s grasp.

Asami immediately moved her body in front of Opal’s and protected the younger girl with her own body, her arms spreading outwards. The people could do whatever they wanted to her, but they’d have to kill her before they reached Opal.

Her jade eyes were narrowed into a hard glare, her lips curled into a snarl as she dared any of them to try and get through her. Her eyes darted around the group, taking in each individual that was present.

The other man was shorter than the first but much more burly. He had black hair with an adorable curl that hung on his forehead. His eyes were a soft green and, just as she suspected, held an almost childlike innocence to them that matched his voice from earlier. A button nose accompanied his facial features. He was dressed in a form fitting grey sweater which told stories of the muscles underneath, the neck of it torn open to form a ‘V’ that exposed a bit of his chest. He also had various leather pieces adorning his body. Torn, khaki cargo pants covered his legs, the particular piece of clothing looking more worn than the rest of his pieces.

Another obnoxious laugh rung out from the woman and Asami’s eyes immediately darted in her direction. The woman was much shorter than the men and had long, brown hair that was tied back in a ponytail and messy bangs hanging on her forehead. Asami’s eyes spared a brief glance at the woman’s arms which were exposed from her black, sleeveless leather vest. A skin tight cyan shirt was beneath the leather vest. The shirt was torn at the bottom which exposed bits of the woman’s midriff and the neck was cut low enough to show a fair amount of cleavage. The woman wore similar cargo pants that the males were wearing but hers were black instead and hung more loosely on her legs, as if they were a size too big. They hung low enough on her hips to be able to distinguish a prominent “V” in the woman’s hips if one looked hard enough. Her skin was a dark brown but the black, tribal band tattoos that adorned her arms were still easily noticeable. But what stood out the most was the muscle that rippled throughout the exposed part of her bodies. No wonder it felt like running into a wall with their contact earlier.

“My eyes are up here, sweetheart.” There was a certain smugness to the woman’s voice that irked Asami, but regardless she still lifted her eyes to meet the woman’s and what she saw nearly took her breath away. The woman’s eyes were a very light shade of baby blue, a color she had never seen on another person before. The light contrast to her dark skin was a perfect match, making them seem brighter than they were.

The woman’s eyes narrowed slightly and a cocky smirk adorned her lips. Jade eyes clashed with blue as they had a silent stare off, like two animals fighting for dominance to see which would back down first. Asami wouldn’t give her the opportunity to win. She narrowed her own eyes at the woman, a certain spark forming between their staring contest. That smirk of hers only irritated Asami further and she seemed to forget the deadly predicament she was in. She was now more focused on wiping that smug look off the woman’s face.

“You got something to say, Molerat?” Asami scowled deeply, unsure exactly what a “molerat” was but not willing to give the woman the satisfaction of knowing her confusion. It was surely nothing pleasant. She noticed the woman was not pointing her weapon at her any longer and it was instead at her side, though still firmly grasped in her hand. The taller male, on the other hand, still had his gun pointed at her. There was a silence that followed the question, but before Asami could respond the short male suddenly broke out into a delighted squeal. The sound threw the entire group of people off and even encouraged Opal to peak around Asami to see what the commotion was.

The green-eyed man began dancing on his tip-toes in an excited manner, his hands grasped in front of him as he stared at the women with bright, curious eyes. He suddenly jumped forward towards the vault dwellers with his arms bursting outward as if he were about to sweep them up in a hug. The movement caused Asami to flinch but the man hardly took notice as he continued to squeal like a swooning school girl. He began to point at the two women, staring back at his companions as he continued to dance on his toes. His voice was high-pitched as he spoke.

“Oh my god oh my god oh my god!! It’s two of _THEM_.” He shouted to his friends. The statement caused Asami to lift her eyebrows but she said nothing, curious as to what the man was talking about. She allowed her arms to lower a bit closer to her body while Opal inched her way out from behind her friend to watch the excited man practically dance in front of them. Without warning one of his hands shot out towards the women, offering it to them in what appeared to be a handshake. “My name is Bolin! It’s so cool to finally meet one of you that isn’t a douchey security guard!” The man’s smile was bright, almost blinding. He seemed genuine with his introduction and Asami’s years of training didn’t allow her to leave the man hanging.

“Asami Sato.” She responded tightly and took his hand and was surprised at how gentle he was with his grasp. Despite him being large and well-built, he was surprisingly careful with what he probably assumed was a delicate handshake. She gave his hand a firm squeeze before releasing his hold. His hand immediately shifted to Opal and the woman repeated the handshake, though Opal’s face was graced with what appeared to be a shy smile. Asami lifted her eyebrow curiously but decided to leave that conversation for another time. The man opened his mouth to speak again but was cut off by the other male in the group groaning.

“Bo, seriously? Don’t fucking fraternize with them.”

“Oh come on bro! Look at them. They’re harmless!” The boy gestured at them excitedly and both woman glanced at eachother before nodding their heads vigorously, more than happy to agree about them being “harmless”.

The man groaned again, lifting his free hand to pinch the bridge of his nose as he sighed. He finally spared a glance at the woman named Korra, his eyes pleading for her help in the situation.

“Well, what are we gonna do with them?”

The woman’s blue eyes trailed the length of Asami’s body slowly, as if judging the worth of some kind of prize. The motion made Asami scowl once again, her eyes hardening into a dangerous glare. She lifted her arms and folded them over her chest, waiting for the woman to make some kind of stupid comment so she had a reason to slap her across her annoying face. Even if she had some bullet holes in her body afterwards, it’d be totally worth it.

Blue eyes finally stopped when they met a pair of piercing green and that familiar smirk slipped onto the woman’s lips. Though this time it seemed different. It seemed dangerous. The look caused a trail of goosebumps to form on her arms despite the heat as a different kind of fear struck her. The woman finally spoke.

“What else? Let’s take our little runaways to Zaheer.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Nothing like a bit of a cliffhanger. I tried to keep the character personalities somewhat canon, but I get the impression this is how Korra's personality might have been if she had more social interaction with people throughout her life. Ofcourse with a bit of extra edginess due to her lifestyle. :) Let me know!


	4. Welcome to the Commonwealth

Bolin’s eyes widened with concern as he turned to face Korra, his arms flailing wildly about him in a desperate means for communication.

“Korra we can’t send them to Zaheer! He’s a monster. He’ll probably sell them off to some slaver! They’re guests to the Commonwealth, we should guide them rather than throwing them to the wolves!” He desperately pleaded to the woman but she didn’t seem swayed by his words.

Asami was growing more and more nervous as the man spoke, wondering what kind of person this Zaheer could be. She had already assumed he wasn’t a good man considering Noatak did frequent trading with him.

Mako rolled his eyes in response to his brother’s pleas, clearly not persuaded either.

“Bolin what would you expect us to do with them? We’re barely making ends meet as it is. There’s no way we could throw another two people in the group. We’ll all starve and be deathclaw fodder before we get anywhere.”

Asami shuddered at the name of the creature he stated. _Deathclaw_? Just by the name of it she decided then and there she never wanted to see what exactly a deathclaw was. Her thoughts were interrupted by Bolin’s shrill voice once again ringing out in argument.

“We can drop them off at the temple! They can help out there, they could always use extra hands.”

Korra scoffed at him, once again eyeing the two women before her up and down incredulously.

“You kidding me, Bo? Look at their delicate hands. They wouldn’t last a day out in the fields. They’d probably scratch themselves on a branch and die. Our air just isn’t good enough for their sensitive bodies.” Korra crossed her arms over her torso, her muscular arms flexing unintentionally as she did so.

This woman seemed to have the uncanny ability to piss Asami off. With her cocky attitude and smug smile. If there’s anything Asami disliked it was over-confident brats. She had her fair share of them in the vault who thought they were smooth enough to work their way into her pants. They were quickly shut down and put in their place, just as this woman was about to be.

Asami stepped forward, brushing pass Bolin to step up to the woman, seemingly forgetting there was a dangerous weapon pointed at her that could end her life within a second. Her anger was quickly taking hold. All the years of proper etiquette training she had endured, all the meetings with respectable, irritating vault-dwellers, it all seemed to go out the window as her emotions ran rampant whenever this annoying woman spoke. Asami lifted her hand, pointing her index at the woman and was mere inches from poking her in the chest.

“Listen here _shorty_.” She heard Mako chuckle quietly at the name but was too focused on putting this woman in her place to comment on it. “We’re not made of fucking flowers. We’ve worked our _asses_  off ever since we were little to help ungrateful bitches like yourself live an easier life. And I’m _so_  sorry that you don’t seem to possess the intelligence required to take advantage of the machines we’ve given you. So instead of being bitter because you think these ‘delicate girls’ will show you up in something you’ve been doing your entire life, why don’t you just shut the hell up and listen to your friend!” Asami yelled out the last bit of her sentence, her anger flaring. She was breathing heavily by the end of her rant, her finger still pointed accusingly at the woman.

The shorter woman puffed out defensively at the end of the shpeel, her chin lifting defiantly. Asami could barely contain the smug smirk that wanted to show on her lips, happy with the kind of reaction she received from the woman. The victory was short lived.

“I’m not short! You’re just freaking tall!”

The woman jutted out her lower lip in a pout and Asami would find the look endearing if she wasn’t in shock. Her jaw fell open slightly, her brows furrowed as she tried to process what the woman said. Out of everything Asami had thrown at her __that__  was what the woman was upset about?

Asami turned her gaze slowly to Mako, gesturing to the woman in front of her in a way that said ‘ _is she serious?_ ’. Despite how stoic the man seemed before he could only offer a sympathetic shrug of his shoulders and Asami almost felt bad that the guy had to deal with two idiots all the time.

Asami sighed defeatedly and lifted her hand to her forehead, beginning to rub it as she felt an oncoming headache Behind her she could hear Bolin whispering to Opal, “Korra has a height complex.” The boy then turned his eyes to his brother and jut his lower lip out in a pout, attempting to return to their previous conversation.

“Mako we can’t do this to them. Killing them would be more merciful than giving them to Zaheer. And they haven’t done anything wrong to us.”

“Um did you not just hear her call me short?” Korra interrupted, raising her eyebrow. Bolin ignored her, continuing to plead to his brother.

“We know what it’s like to live like that. And I wouldn’t wish that on my worst enemy. Do you really want to do that to them?” His voice had grown soft, almost sentimental and pained as if he were recalling an awful memory.

Mako and Korra seemed to soften a bit at his words, the three sharing a silent moment with one another. With a loud sigh Mako turned to look at Korra instead, his shoulders slumping in defeat.

“I guess we could just take them back to their vault.”

“No!” Both Asami and Opal yelled at the same time, their eyes wide with panic. All heads turned to look at them, their gazes full of suspicion, curiosity and mostly questions.

“And why not?” Continued Mako, his eyebrows furrowed as he waited impatiently for an answer.

Asami and Opal shared a glance, both biting their lips in uncertainty. Finally Opal spoke and Asami was relieved she had an answer to their question.

“Listen, we can’t tell you. Not yet, atleast.” She interrupted Mako before he could continue with his questioning. “We can’t tell you until we know for sure you won’t take us back. Going back there will be a legitimate death sentence for the both of us. Just… please trust me when I say this.” Opal began to chew her lip nervously and Asami slid back to her friend, sliding one of her arms over her shoulder as they both stared at the ground.

The three strangers shared a look with one another, their gazes mostly filled with doubt. Then suddenly Mako’s eyes lit up with acknowledgement, as if he had just solved a difficult puzzle.

“Wait a minute. What did you say your name was?” He nodded towards Asami and finally lowered his gun. He had almost forgot it was still pointed at them.

“Asami Sato.” She responded slowly, wondering why the man was interested in something like that.

“Group meeting.” He announced and both Bolin and Korra followed him a few meters away, huddling in a small circle to converse among themselves.

“Doesn’t that name sound familiar to you guys?” Mako asked the group. When he only received confused stares in return he sighed loudly. Ofcourse these idiots didn’t have any interest in anything besides food and women. “Wasn’t Zaheer looking for some guy named Sato?” He continued, hoping either of them would follow onto what he was saying.

Korra suddenly snapped her fingers in realization, her eyes lighting up. “Oh yah! A guy named Yoshi Sato, right?”

“Yoshi is a girls name, stupid.” Bolin added.

“I don’t see you adding any information to the conversation, asshole!” She retorted while sticking out her tongue.

“Focus!” Mako hissed through his teeth, glancing over to make sure Asami and Opal were still there. They seemed preoccupied looking at their Brahman, their looks switching from disgusted to amused.

“Anyways, that guy was a vault dweller too, right? Don’t you think there might be a connection between him and her?” Mako nodded his head in Asami’s direction and all three of them looked at her again.

This time Asami caught their looks and raised her eyebrow questioningly. Korra responded by shooting the woman a cheeky grin and an over-exaggerated wave. Asami responded with a scowl and a quick flash of her middle finger. Bolin chuckled beside Korra, muttering quietly, “I like her”. Korra could only roll her eyes in response.

“Just get on with it, Sharky. Quit skating around the subject. You know we can’t focus that long.” Korra muttered while picking at some dirt in her fingernails.

Mako scowled at the ridiculous nickname before continuing. “Zaheer was offering a huge reward to find that Sato guy. And if they ARE related, maybe we can use her to get to him. If we can give that guy over to Zaheer we could get the Red Lotus to leave Air Temple alone! We can finally live normal lives…” He trailed off as he thought about the life they could live without having to work as Zaheer’s runners any longer. The other two in the group took his words in stride and grinned at one another. The mere thought of a semi-normal life in the Commonwealth was like a dream come true.

Korra finally snapped out of her daydream and began to press with further questions.

“Alright well how do we convince princess over there to help us out?”

“Well let’s ease her into it instead of outright asking. Which means I’ll do the talking. You two are terrible at being patient.”

Bolin and Korra glanced at eachother before they simply shrugged in agreement. They all nodded their heads before breaking apart in unison, approaching the two woman who were once again carefully studying the Brahman attached to their cart. Korra smirked softly as she spoke behind the girls.

“What’s wrong ladies? Not afraid of a harmless Brahman, are ya? Or is it not cute enough for your high-class lifestyle?”

Opal didn’t respond to the woman, seeming unfazed by her comments. Asami on the otherhand shot the girl a glare before returning her attention back to the creature. The shorter woman seemed to work poor Asami’s emotions into a frenzy.

“You can pet him, you know.” Bolin walked next to Opal and encouraged her with a bright smile. “This is a brahman. They’re very friendly.” At the womens hesitance Korra stepped up beside Asami, eyes narrowed in a challenge.

“You’re not afraid are ya, princess?”

A scowl plastered to her ruby red lips at the ridiculous nickname. She didn’t respond to Korra otherwise. But she did lift her hand, slowly inching it towards the creature. The flesh of the animal seemed disgusting and wrinkly, as if it would be unpleasant to touch. Not to mention its two heads freaked the poor heiress out.

As her hand stilled inches above the creatures skin she hesitated. Unfortunately for her Korra took a chance at the hesitation to grab Asami’s hand and pin it against the creatures hide. Asami yelped in both surprise and disgust at the fleshy feeling of the animal. She could feel stubbly fur along the Brahman’s hide which only caused discomfort on her hand.

With a jerk of her hand Asami ripped herself free from Korra’s grasp and began to rub both ends of her hand on her blue jumpsuit, her face twisted in disgust. Korra burst into laughter at the woman’s response, nearly doubled over as she held her stomach.

“Oh man princess! ‘We’re not made of flowers.’” Korra mimicked Asami’s statement from earlier in a mocking tone, managing to get the statement out before continuing with her boisterous laughter. Asami felt her face heating up, though she wasn’t sure if it was from anger or embarrassment. Perhaps both.

“I’m more disgusted that a dirty little dwarf touched me rather than that animal.”

 Asami huffed out, her embarrassment turning to a smug grin as Korra’s laughter was abruptly caught off.

The shorter woman scowled and crossed her arms again. Asami could hear both Mako and Bolin guffaw next to her before ringing out into laughter, only causing Korra’s scowl to deepen. Asami took her small victory and turned away from Korra, looking at Mako instead. She dreaded her next question, but she didn’t want to stay out here any longer than necessary.

“So… what’s the plan?”

She looked up to the man with wide, green eyes, attempting at her best puppy-dog look. This look had gotten her out of trouble several times, she only hoped it would ring true right now as well.

Mako had already seemed to make up his mind about their decision. She didn’t know if that was good or bad.

“We’re not going to turn you in.”

At the statement Asami and Opal both clapped in excitement, turning towards eachother and sharing grins that nearly split their face. Maybe their adventure wouldn’t be over as soon as they expected. Maybe they stood a chance.

Mako cleared his throat and continued. “We’re going to take you back to Air Temple. It’s a farm a couple hours ride from here. We’ll decide what to do from there.”

If it had been only Mako, Asami would have been skeptical of his intentions. It was weird for him to suddenly turn ship on his answer. But with Korra and Bolin there, both seeming too honest for their own good, she believed their intentions to be genuine.

Her grin never ceased and Asami started to feel a bit overwhelmed. She hadn’t even noticed the tears sliding down her cheeks until Mako flashed her an awkward look. The shift of his expression forced her to realize what was happening and she quickly lifted her hands to brush at her cheeks. She was surprised at the muddy dirt that was on her hand. This place really was dirty.

Opal stepped towards her friend and lifted her hands to gently cup her face, green eyes staring into one another’s.

“Asami, are you okay?”

She could only nod her head, her words failing her as her throat began to constrict with unshed tears. Asami stepped forward suddenly and wrapped her friend in a tight hug. That seemed to release the floodgates of Opal’s tears as well because suddenly both women were clinging to eachother as quiet sobs racked their body. Their faces were buried in eachothers necks, the emotional toll from the day finally taking over. From the fear of their escape to being stuck in an uncomfortable box for hours and then finally, facing a deadly situation that ended up working in their favor.

“Let’s give them a moment.” Korra’s voice was soft and barely heard over their sobbing but both men nodded in agreement.

They returned to their wagon full of goods while Opal and Asami took the opportunity to take control of their emotions. After a few minutes both women finally separated from their embrace and smiled at one another. They began to fix eachother up, making themselves presentable for their escorts before returning to the group. Mako was seated at the front, reigns in hand to take control of driving. Korra and Bolin were sat on either side of him.

Opal and Asami glanced at one another before looking back at the cargo. The only seats available seemed like the uncomfortable ones in the back. Bolin seemed to notice their hesitance and quickly scrambled up from his own seat, offering his hand to Opal with an almost impish grin.

“Here, you can have my seat up front. It’s the scenic spot.”

That same shy smile from earlier graced Opal’s lips as she placed her hand in Bolin’s, allowing herself to be pulled upwards and into the seat at the front of the cart. Bolin’s grin never ceased as he sat on top of one of the gun crates, leaning over slightly so he could still be apart of any conversation.

At the kind gesture Korra and Asami’s eyes met and Korra offered the woman a sly grin before she spoke.

“I’ll be more than happy to offer you my seat, princess. But the best seat in the house is right here.” Korra began to pat her own lap, waggling her eyebrows suggestively.

The only reaction she received from the flirtatious gesture was a disgusted grunt from the heiress accompanied by an eye roll.

“Gross.”

Korra only chuckled as she stood up, rolling her shoulders in a shrug.

“It’s your loss sweetheart.” As Korra began to climb into the back of the cart Asami interrupted her movements with a snide remark.

“You sure you want to sit in the back? You probably won’t be able to see with all of us in front of you.”

Korra looked over her shoulder and narrowed her eyes dangerously at the woman.

“You got some funny jokes, don’t you ya fucking molerat?”

Korra continued her trek into the back of the cart and took a seat next to Bolin on one of the crates, her eyes never leaving the heiress as her arms folded over her chest in another pout.

Asami could only lift her eyebrow at the comment. She still didn’t know what that was. She opted to just not give a fuck as she climbed into a passenger seat. Once she was situated comfortably a snap from the reigns got the cart moving forward again. The pace was slow, but it gave Asami an opportunity to look around her and take in her surroundings.

She couldn’t believe how different this place was compared to the videos she had seen in the vault. What she expected was lush plants and greens everywhere. People and roads and activity. There was none of that. Everything seemed dead and it was dusty and dirty. She already felt the need for a shower and she had only been exposed to this place for less than an hour.

A squeal to her side snapped Asami’s attention to her friend Opal who pointed excitedly next to her, her eyes wide with excitement as she spoke.

“Asami, Asami! Look!”

Asami stood up carefully and peered over her friend and what she saw caused her to verbally _“awww”_  over the creature in front of them. Walking beside the cart was a pure white and very large, very fluffy dog. She had only seen dogs through videos and pictures and knew them to be loyal, protective creatures. The appearance of the dog had Asami wanting to reach over and pet its fluffy fur but she instead opted to just stare in excitement.

Behind them Korra and Bolin shared a look, wondering why a dog would get the women so worked up. Little did they know this is their first exposure to such an animal. Korra leaned forward slightly between Asami and Mako and whistled a small tune, garnering the dogs attention.

“Naga, up!” She commanded and the dog obediently jumped into the foot room on the cart at the base of Opal’s feet. The green eyed woman squealed excitedly and held her hands in front of her chest, unsure of what she should do with them.

“You can pet her.” Korra spoke with amusement.

The dog looked to Opal curiously, its head cocking slightly to the side. Her big brown eyes were begging for attention, her droopy ears perking up slightly as she attempted at her best puppy-dog look for the desired affection. Opal was more than happy to pet the animal, her nails scratching over the animal’s ears affectionately. The dog simply panted with delight, her tail thumping against the girls legs.

A grin was etched into Opal’s face as she showered the pup in affection, green eyes sparkling with a childlike giddyness. Beside her Bolin reached forward to scratch the dog beneath her chin, matching the same goofy grin Opal had on her face.

Asami slid back down in her seat. Though she desired to greet the animal she would patiently wait her turn. She hadn’t noticed how Korra had leaned forward and was practically speaking into her ear.

“I can give you something else to pet while you’re waiting your turn.”

Mako groaned at the statement, shaking his head slowly at Korra’s overbearing flirting with the woman beside him. Asami on the otherhand didn’t allow the comment to get to her, fighting the heavy blush that was attempting to creep on her face at the suggestive innuendo.

“No thank you. I’m only interested in petting clean animals.” Asami looked down at her fingernails nonchalantly, making sure Korra knew she had no interest in flirting back with her.

Mako chuckled quietly beside her. “Kor, just give up. She’s obviously not interested.”

Korra only scoffed at his statement, speaking as if Asami wasn’t sitting right there in front of her. “I love a challenge Mako. They always _come_  around.” She began to laugh at her own terrible joke, earning another groan from both Mako and Asami this time. The heiress rolled her eyes, deciding to end this little charade before it went too far.

“I’m straight.”

“Yah, well, so are noodles. Until they get hot and wet.” A shit eating grin stuck to the girls mouth and Asami couldn’t help but guffaw at that comment, turning her head to look at the woman with raised eyebrows.

“Okay, I’ll give you that one you clever little pervert.”

The grin quickly left Korra’s faced and was replaced by yet another scowl, standing up abruptly from her seat.

“I’m not little damn it!”

Instead of arguing Asami simply rolled her eyes and returned her attention to sightseeing, her eyes scanning the road. She noticed several carcass’, though her lack of experience in the area would make it impossible to identify them. The area was surrounded by so much death and the thought made her shudder. What could have done all of this? A curious part of her wanted to know, but a larger part wanted nothing to do with it. Instead her mind began to wander to the vault. How were things going since she left? Had anyone noticed yet? She closed her eyes and thought silently to herself, tuning out the conversations around her as she focused.

She still berated herself for leaving without telling anybody. What kind of leader was she? She could act as strong as she wanted but now she was no better than her father. A coward running away and leaving her people to rot in the aftermath.

Her eyelids fluttered open only slightly. The thought had never occurred to her once she had gotten out, but where was she going to go from here? Should they find a city to settle down in? What would they do?

She figured her and Opal were skilled enough with engineering to be useful in just about any place they chose to stay at. But a small part of her wanted more than that. She didn’t want to settle down. Now that she was out, she wanted answers. And the first answer she desired was why these people who had been more than happy to try and kill them earlier would suddenly take them in. Perhaps that was just the wastelander way?

Asami spared a discreet glance to her side to observe the group. Opal was happily speaking to both Bolin and Korra, talking about life in the vault as the two wastelanders leaned in with sparked curiosity and interest. Mako was quiet and instead focused on driving though his eyes were constantly flickering across the area in front of them on alert.

Asami returned her attention to looking out the other side of their wagon, eyes absent-mindedly trailing the debris that was littered across the road. One question seemed to linger in her mind more than others and she finally decided she would think on it after all these years.

Was her father somewhere out here in this desolate place? What was he doing?

She desperately wanted the answer to these questions, but there was one question she wanted answers to more than others. _ _Why did you leave, dad?__  She brooded silently to herself, twiddling her fingers with one another as a distraction for her hands.

A cold, wet object pressed into one of her hands and she nearly jumped out of her seat at the surprise. She looked down to see their furry companion had moved away from Opal after being rejected of her desired affection.

Asami was less hesitant with this animal than she was the brahman and slowly reached down to brush her fingers through the animals fur. She was surprised at how soft it was and repeated the motion, nails scraping lightly against the top of the dogs head. The fact that she hadn’t been bitten yet told Asami she was doing a good job.

There was a calming sort of feeling to affectionately patting this dog, almost therapeutic in a sense. That was until she noticed the dogs body began to strum and a quiet growl erupted from its muzzle.

Asami froze in her ministrations as her eyes widened, suddenly in fear for herself that she might have touched the dog wrong. She wasn’t sure how dangerous this beast could be, but she also didn’t have the desire to find out.

Her eyes travelled towards the dog fearfully, careful not to anger it further. Thankfully the dog was not looking at her while it growled so she could only assume she wasn’t the reason for its distress. But that conclusion only caused a different kind of fear to strike her. What could possibly be causing the animal to react like this?

She turned her head sideways to peer at the area that the dog was staring. She noticed the animal had grown even more distressed, her lips pulled back in a fierce snarl. Asami focused her attention to the treeline alongside their carriage hoping to catch any sign of movement.

After a few moments she was about ready to give up and chalk the dogs behavior up to her lack of knowledge of the animal. But just as she was about to look away she noticed a quick flash of something scurrying along the wreckage and debris about 30 feet away from them.

Her voice caught in her throat, her eyes widening as she attempted to make out what on earth that thing could be. Despite her only catching a brief glimpse of the thing she could easily detect that it had skin similar to the brahmans’, if not a bit pinker. The thing was several sizes smaller than the brahman and even smaller than the dog that was in front of her. That endearing thought helped calm her heart slightly. It couldn’t be too much of a threat if it was the smallest thing around, right?

The positive thought was short lived as she noticed more movement where she had previously seen the creature. Without picking a specific number, she noticed there were atleast 3 more of the creatures scurrying one after another.

She subconsciously grasped the nape of the dog gently, her unease constricting her throat and keeping her from speaking her fears out loud. Instead she lifted her free arm, though it felt weighed down as the dread nearly locked up her joints. She forced herself to move despite her anxiety and began to swat aimlessly beside her in an attempt to catch anyones attention. Her hand finally made contact with warm skin and she could have cried out in relief. Instead she just smacked at the extremity repeatedly until an annoyed response followed.

“What the hell are you doing? Quit slapping me.” Korra’s voice rung out as she winced away from her attacker, though the movement was exaggerated due to the slaps doing very little harm to her arm. It was more of an annoyance than anything.

Unfortunately the woman’s words did little to sway the raven haired beauty. Before Korra could pull her arm out of swatting distance she felt those slender fingers wrap around her bicep, the delicate looking hand surprisingly calloused and strong with a firm grip. At the same time it was also broken out in a cold sweat and Korra lifted her eyebrow in question as to what was causing the woman who, only minutes ago, took every precaution to ignore her. She looked at Asami’s face and saw the woman staring wide-eyed to her left.

Once Asami was sure she had the woman’s attention her mouth began to move. Unfortunately she couldn’t manage to form words in her distress and the realization only caused Asami’s heart to constrict in panic. Why couldn’t she speak? _Speak you fucking coward!_  She silently berated herself. Unfortunately name-calling wasn’t helping her with her current loss of words.

Her saving grace came in the form of the brahman suddenly stopping their pace, the animals crashing their hooves agitatedly into the ground. The sudden timidness from the creatures forced everyone to cease their conversation and watch their strange behavior. Thankfully the silence from the group made them all aware of Naga’s aggressive growling and the gang was suddenly alert and at attention.

Korra hopped over the seat in front of her and was practically straddling Asami in her descent to the ground. Asami’s hand followed the woman, her fingers locked in a vice grip around her bicep, as if the skin on skin contact was keeping Asami grounded to her spot. She could feel the ripple of muscle beneath her hand with the woman’s movements and it wasn’t until Asami felt a hand over her own that she snapped back to reality. Korra stood beside the carriage, prying Asami’s hand from her arm.

“Geez woman, you can’t be this clingy after only a couple hours.”

Korra chided the woman with a smirk but unfortunately the joke was lost on the shocked woman. Asami was still desperately searching the rubble where she had previously seen movement. But what good would it do if she couldn’t even speak? Instead she simply opted for pointing Korra in the direction she had last seen those disgusting critters and the tan woman only nodded in understanding.

“Stay here.” Korra ordered and Asami, despite not enjoying being told what to do, nodded her understanding.

“Come on, Naga.”

The dog immediately obeyed and slipped down next to her master’s side, protectively following the woman in the direction Asami had pointed her in. She could see Korra slip her gun from her holster and point the weapon defensively in front of her, using the equipment to push at the dead twigs. Korra was cautious, her movements precise as she peered over various dirt mounds.

The sound of two clicks forced Asami to turn her attention to the group next to her and she noticed Bolin and Mako both had weapons out and ready. They also hopped down from their seated positions and began to sweep around the general area, both searching the vicinity for any signs of life. Opal and Asami both scooted instinctively towards eachother, eyes wide in anxiety as to what was to come. The silence was almost deafening.

After nearly five minutes of searching Bolin threw his hands in the air, groaning in defeat.

“Whatever was here is gone now. Can we just go home? I’m starving!” The boy whined out loud, his face twisting in sadness as he pleaded to his friends.

“You’re always hungry, Bo. But I think you’re right. Let’s just get out of here.” Mako took a few steps towards their caravan before the brahman once again began to strike the ground agitatedly. A low groan came from one of the beasts. The sign put the entire group on edge again and before any words could be said the ground in front of Mako suddenly burst open.

An ugly creature sprung forward with a spine-tingling shriek, leaping towards Mako as it burst free from the confines of the dried earth. Mako’s response to the surprise seemed trained and instinctual as he swiftly moved the gun in front of the creature and pulled the trigger without hesitation. Small splatters of blood exploded from both the entrance and exit wound as the creature fell limp to the ground in mid-air, its body flung backwards slightly from the impact of the bullet. After moments of the creature lying still on the ground Opal suddenly jumped up from her seat and threw her hands in the air in victory, showering her praises on the quick-reacting brother.

“Don’t move.” Korra once again flung the order out, though she was quick to reiterate on it. “There’s always more than one of these bastards.”

As if in response to the woman’s words several more loud shrieks could be heard beneath the ground, the noise exiting through the hole the previous thing had left. Korra only groaned, her shoulders slumping in defeat as she murmured beneath her breath.

“I hate fucking molerats.”


	5. It's a Hard Knock Life

The area that was peaceful only minutes before was now littered in various blood-splatters and several carcass’. A dozen of fleshy creatures lay dead around their caravan.

Asami finally pried her body from her friends once she felt safe there would no longer be any more surprise attacks. Hesitantly the woman stepped down from the cart, her legs a bit sore from how tense she had been during the battle.

Mako, Bolin and Korra had handled the situation with practiced expertise. They barely looked winded from the fight and none received any injuries during the struggle. It seemed as if the group worked in perfect unison and nearly every shot that rung out from their weapons hit their mark. Needless to say, Asami was impressed. That feat in itself surprised the woman. Very rarely could she say someone had left her speechless with their skills.

Asami began to inch her way towards one of the carcass’, her curiosity getting the better of her. Her analytical and ever inquisitive mind forced her pass her fear of the situation and screamed at her to discover this new species of animal. Knowledge was her drug, no matter the type of knowledge.

Asami peered at one of the carcass, just about close enough to kick it. She didn’t feel the need to test whether the creature was dead or alive. The bullet wound riddled in its head gave her all the answers she needed.

She squat to get a closer look at the creature and grimaced at the unsightly appearance before her.

Large teeth protruded from the creatures mouth, the bones ragged and uneven. Long, dangerous claws poked noticeably from its paws and Asami concluded that was how the creatures seemed to maneuver so easily through the earth. Just as she suspected the creatures coat was pink, fleshy and seemed like it was too tight against the bones that made up the skeleton of the monster. Fleshy spikes ran along the spine of the critter and protruded unnaturally from its body. Asami had to tilt her head slightly to notice that the creature did in fact have eyes but they were unmistakably tiny. _How do these things see?_  She pondered quietly to herself before her thoughts were interrupted by a large flash of white suddenly loping in front of her.

Naga stood in front of the woman with her tail wagging furiously behind her and her tongue lolling lazily from the side of her jaw. She looked absolutely adorable and it was almost enough to distract Asami from the tinge of red that stained the maw of the beast. Asami only smiled a toothy grin at the animal, meeting the dog at eye level as she scratched behind her ears graciously, speaking to the animal in a baby voice that was unfamiliar to the woman. She wasn’t sure where it was coming from but it seemed natural with the dog.

“Yes yes. You are a mighty warrior! The fearless Naga!”

The woman squealed in excitement as the dog suddenly pushed into her, the heavy weight of the animal forcing Asami to slide onto her butt. A moment later she could feel Naga’s wet tongue slap against her face and Asami desperately tried to twist her head away from the onslaught of affection. The gesture was cute but the dog’s breath stunk heavily of iron and blood.

After a minute of desperately trying to move the giant animal Asami was finally able to slip away from her and stand up, brushing the dirt from her blue jumpsuit as she stood up straight. Naga simply took to standing at her side, as if the two had been best friends for years rather than only knowing eachother for a short amount of time.

“I told you to stay on the cart.” A voice broke through Asami’s excited haze as she looked at Korra who was approaching her with a glower. Asami only lifted her chin defiantly at the snide remark. Apparently Korra didn’t take kindly to being disobeyed. Unfortunately for her Asami wasn’t one for taking orders, she gave them.

“So sorry _ma’am_.” Asami rolled her eyes at the final word, her tone dripping with mockery. She quickly shifted her attention back to the dead critter at her feat, touching it gently with her foot.

“Anyways, what are these things? I’ve never seen something like it in the pictures.”

Korra only grunted in response, choosing to ignore the bitterness in the other woman’s voice. She finally holstered her weapon, peeking down at the carcass’ Asami had been referring to.

“These nasty little bugs are molerats. The radiation forced a mutation to make them bigger and uglier. They’re pretty territorial so whenever something gets near their nest they just jump out and attack like this.” Korra lifted her arms and placed her hands nonchalantly behind her head, clasping her fingers together to cradle her head gently.

“We don’t usually take this route. We’re not big fans of carrying around these kinds of heavy goods longer than we have to but we can’t just show up to Zaheer with the two of you in our cart.” Korra’s blue eyes stared at her with little regard but it was very apparent she was trying to relay that this attack was mostly her and Opal’s fault. The thought made Asami lower her eyes to the ground apologetically rather than fighting with the woman. Unfortunately, for once, Korra was right.

Noticing the ivory skinned woman had reacted to her accusation Korra turned away and began to walk back towards the cart. She had no intention of making the woman feel guilty about her role in this problem for too long. But the vault-dweller needed to realize just how grateful she should be to them for risking their hides like this.

Hearing footsteps move further away from her Asami finally lifted her eyes from the ground and watched Korra’s retreating figure. Once the woman was out of earshot she slid her emerald iris’ to Naga instead, patting the dog softly on the head as she spoke.

“I wish your master was more like you. Then maybe I wouldn’t want to punch her in her face all the time.”

The dog only cocked its head in response and Asami chuckled softly, beginning to move forward. She lifted her gaze to their wagon to see Bolin relaying the fiasco to Opal in a gesture of wild limbs and excited talking. Opal only grinned in response, her green eyes bright with amusement as she watched the man. _Atleast one of us is having fun._ Asami thought bitterly to herself. A loud sigh slipped pass her lips, her feet basically dragging across the ground as she slumped back towards the cart.

A sudden shudder beneath her caused Asami to halt her movements instantly. Before she could react properly a loud cracking of the earth erupted just a few feet in front of her followed by a loud screeching that halted her heart.

As if in slow motion she could see the molerat leaping towards her, it’s mouth stretched open to reveal its ugly fangs that were just itching to take a chunk out of her throat.

In the background she could see Korra twist around, her eyes wide in panic as she attempted to lunge for the creature while it was in midair. Unfortunately the attempt was in vain, the woman too far away to do any actual good.

Asami couldn’t even close her eyes in her shock, her legs frozen in fear to keep her from moving out of the way. All she could do was lift her hands to attempt to protect herself from the inevitable pain that would ensue in less than a second.

With the molerat mere inches from her face the creature’s movement was suddenly halted in midair and was promptly torn towards the ground. A loud snarl erupted from the ground followed by a painful shrieking and the sound of jaws snapping. Asami managed to recover from her initial shock enough to look down at the fight ensuing right in front of her, or lack thereof. Naga held a twitching molerat in her jaws, her fangs sunk deep into its neck as its last bit of life was promptly ripped from its body. Naga’s fur stood on end, her appearance even more intimidating with the shift in size and her eyes focused solely on killing the creature trapped in her jaws. Naga continued to hold the molerat between her jaws even after its twitching had ceased. It must have been an instinctive reaction to ensure the death of the predators victim, but at the moment Asami was not complaining. As a matter of fact, Asami wasn’t doing much of anything except shaking, her breathing short and rapid. Her already white skin grew a shade paler, the blood drained from her face as the realization of her situation struck her like lightning.

Without warning her legs suddenly gave away and she could feel herself collapsing to the ground. Before she struck the solid surface she felt a pair of warm arms wrap around her, one around her waist, the other over her shoulders. The extra support kept her from crumpling completely as she began to lean most of her weight on her savior.

She was suddenly lifted from the ground, the arm that was previous around her waist now cradled in the bend at her knees. Asami’s trauma didn’t allow her to protest the bridal treatment nor thank whoever it was that had helped her in her time of weakness. All she could do was curl herself into her protector, her eyes shut tightly as she began to replay the incident over and over in her head. How close she was to being hurt or, even worse, dead. If not for Naga there was no telling what would have happened to her.

She couldn’t keep the soft whimper that escaped from her lips and she absent-mindedly pressed her face into the crook of the neck of the person carrying her. Her nose was suddenly met with warm skin that held an earthy, wooden musk to it along with the faint scent of sweat. Asami lifted her arms, which felt as thought they weighed hundreds of pounds each, and wrapped them securely around the persons neck.

She was aware that her actions might have been a bit overboard and, knowing that Opal couldn’t lift her, it meant that one of the wastelanders were the ones carrying her. At the same time Asami needed to feel some sense of reassurance that she was safe. Thankfully the person didn’t respond to her actions and simply continued towards their destination.

Asami felt a shift in weight and could tell that whomever it was had lifted both of them into the wagon. She was lowered into her saviors lap and, despite wanting to desperately move away to save herself from her embarrassment at having been treated like a princess, only snuggled further into the persons body. She could feel a shift behind her and a familiar, frantic voice spoke softly into her ear as her long, raven locks were stroked comfortingly.

“Sami, are you okay?! Are you hurt anywhere?!” Opal’s voice rung out next to her ear and though the words were simple, it took a moment for Asami to formulate a proper response.

Physically? Yes, she was perfectly fine. Maybe a little weak. Mentally? Not so much.

She had only been out in this new world for less than two hours and she had faced death on more than one occasion. The amount of dangerous situations she had been exposed to in the last couple of hours easily outnumbered her entire life in the vault. And there was no hiding how dissapointed she was in herself for her reaction to each of the problems she had been faced with today. She froze in the face of danger and had to rely on strangers to help her.

Her hands grasped tightly at the cloth behind the neck of the person cradling her, her grip firm as she chided herself. _Your vault is better off not having you there. You could never be the fearless leader they needed._ The thought nearly brought tears to her eyes, the stinging sensation poking behind her eyelids.

Fingers brushing through her hair brought her back from her own thoughts and she finally peeled her eyes open. Tan skin graced her vision as she blunk a few times, readjusting her vision to blink away the haze. She pulled her head back slightly and allowed her eyes to slowly trail over the woman’s face to meet her eyes. She took note of a few small, barely noticeable scars on the woman’s sharp jaw.

Once emerald clashed with sapphire Asami’s breath caught in her throat. The gaze Korra held in her eyes carried no mirth, disgust or mockery like Asami had been expecting when she discovered Korra was the one who assisted her. Instead those blue eyes held a gentleness that took her breath away. Korra was looking at her like she was a victim of a traumatic experience rather than a damsel in distress. It carried genuine worry for her well-being and the look was truly endearing.

Asami’s eyes flickered quickly over Korra’s, attempting to find any hint that this was all some ploy and Korra would begin teasing her again. When she found no trace of the mischief she finally forced herself to look at her friend, the feeling of her fingers still brushing through her hair. The comfort from both the women helped calm the unease pitting in Asami’s stomach and she finally managed a response.

“I’m fine Opal. Really. Just a little… shaken up.” She finished the last bit quietly, that sinking feeling of dissapointment clouding her mind once more. Breathing in sharply through her nose she shifted her gaze to Korra’s once more, intent on thanking her savior properly.

“Korra… thank you. Sorry that you had to fuss over me like this.” Despite her desire to mumble out her gratitude Asami decided Korra deserved more than that and spoke firmly.

Korra didn’t respond with words and instead shrugged her shoulders, as if everything she had done was no big deal. Then the tan woman’s face split into a wide, lop-sided grin, the appearance captivating and contagious.

The sight caused Asami’s cheeks to flush slightly and her own smile spread across her red lips. The women simply remained unmoving, eyes staring into one another as they shared smiles. That was until she heard Opal clear her throat next to her.

Asami whipped her head in her friends direction, having completely forgotten the young woman was still sitting there. Opal only stared back at her accusingly, eyes narrowed slightly with an arched eyebrow.

Asami began to shift on Korra’s lap and released the shorter woman from her hold, wiggling around until she was finally out of Korra’s grasp. She sat between the women on the seat, turning her attention to her friend as Korra opted to praise her dog for a job well done. Asami placed her hands in her lap and stared at Opal with a small smile, though her eyes relayed her anxiety.

“Sorry Opal. Just a little freaked out still.”

“I didn’t realize being freaked out caused people to stare longingly into other peoples eyes.” Opal’s voice was quiet and the young girl cast a glance at Korra to reiterate what she was saying.

Asami’s eyes widened abruptly at the accusation before they narrowed dangerously, warning her friend not to go any further with what she was insinuating. Opal only responded by lifting her hands up passively though a smirk was plastered to her lips. The sight caused an eye roll so strong Asami was worried they might roll out of her head. She had just stared death in the face and her friend resorted to teasing her? Then again, the conversation did help calm her down a bit.

“I say we get out of here before we have any more surprises.” Mako spoke out amongst the group and everybody responded their approval of the idea in unison.

“I’m driving this time, Sharky. You can hop in the back.” Without waiting for a response Korra slid in the middle of the seat and took the reigns to drive. Asami took the opportunity to get back at Opal for her constant teasing.

“Opal why don’t you get in the back with Bolin? You can tell him all about your comicbook collection.” Asami glanced at her friend and offered her an innocent smile, as if genuinely indicating the two would hit it off about the topic. Opal’s cheeks warmed and turned a shade of pink as she glared at her friend, her hands landing on her hip as she responded defiantly.

“Maybe I will!” Without further instruction the girl hopped over the seat and into the back where the boy squealed excitedly. Asami could only lift her eyebrow as she overheard the man speak, “You like comicbooks too? I’ve never met a girl that’s into them!”

“I like comicbooks you shithead.” Korra’s voice spoke out as she snapped the reigns and urged their brahman to move, the cart shifting slightly as they took off.

“I said a girl, Korra.”

Laughter rang out amongst their caravan at the comment, all five of them enjoying a small bit of relaxation after their hiccup in their journey. Asami watched Korra shift next to her and lean comfortably against the seat, her legs spread unladylilke as she prepped for the long journey ahead.

A white head poked its way from the back of the cart and inbetween where Asami and Korra sat. Ruby red lips turned upwards into a grin at the animal as she cupped she dogs chin gently and began to scratch it affectionately.

“My hero.” Murmured Asami before she leaned forward and pressed her lips softly to the side of Naga’s snout. Red lipstick clung and stood out against the white fur of the dog. Next to her she could see Korra turn her head to face her, her lower lip jut out in an exaggerated pout.

“Hey where’s mine? I helped you too!”

Asami rolled her eyes for what felt like the nth time that day. She pressed her lips to the palm of her hand before reaching that palm over and pressing it firmly to Korra’s cheek, forcing the woman to look back at the road. With her lower lip still jutted out Korra puffed out a rush of air, her messy bangs flipping with the sudden wind.

“Oh come on Salami. You can do better than that.” Opal spoke out with a certain lilt in her voice as she watched the interaction between the two women. Korra snickered quietly at the nickname and Asami turned her attention to her best friend.

“You’re damn right I can. Now come here and give me some sugar!” Asami turned the tables and suddenly leaned back into the cart from her seat, making exaggerated kissy noises as she played at smooching her best friend. The young girl squealed and giggled in delight, though she fought off the taller woman’s advances by holding her by her shoulders.

Bolin grinned as the two women play fought with one another. Mako simply shook his head at their interactions though there was a soft smirk present on his lips. Korra on the otherhand stared at Asami’s ass in her tight jumpsuit. It was definitely going to be a long ride.

______ 

 

After an hour into their ride Asami found herself trying to desperately distract herself from the sheer boredom of the ride. The land had been interesting to watch for the first 10 minutes of their ride. The dusty wasteland was an amazing sight in contrast to their vault. Asami found herself experiencing things she had never felt before.

The blazing heat from the unbearable sun flushed the woman’s exposed skin, her once white flesh now tinged a light pink from the heat. The warmth from the sun was different than what she had experienced while being near hot machinery. It was a lot more pleasant and Asami couldn’t hide the shame she felt when the thought of removing her jumpsuit crossed her mind to relieve her from her uncomfortable swelter.

Every so often a gentle wind would pick up and alleviate the woman from her discomfort. Breezes such as these were unfamiliar to her and she couldn’t help but close her eyes and bask in the refreshing touch of the current as it kissed her skin. Flecks of dirt poked at her skin every so often when this happened but the woman barely registered the feeling.

But as of the last 45 minutes the woman was in desperate need to do something. She enjoyed staying active and down-time wasn’t a leisure she had often partook in. Eventually her restlessness caught the attention of the woman seated beside her. Asami spoke before the woman had a chance to.

“Do you have anything to drink? I’m parched.”

“Ah, sure. I bet you are.” The young woman unstrapped a leather flask from her hip and offered it to the older woman, the contents inside of the pouch sloshing with the movement.

Asami grasped the material between her hand and removed the lid from the top. She was hesitant about drinking, deciding whether or not she should press her lips to the funnel of the container. She opted not to, knowing it was rather unladylike to wrap her lips around another persons drink. She opened her mouth slightly and tilted the container, the fluid inside spilling slowly into her mouth.

The first thing she noticed was the water was not transparent. It was a very light shade of brown. The appearance startled the woman, but that wasn’t what caught her by surprise the most. The taste was not what she had been expecting.

She had hoped to be receiving a drink of water but instead she tasted something earthy with a very slight tinge of bitterness in it.

Asami immediately flung her head forward and spit the liquid from her mouth, coughing out the fluid. She brushed her hand over her lip to rid her mouth of any excess moisture before turning a heated gaze on Korra.

The tanned woman’s eyes were wide in surprise, eyebrows raised as she watched the woman beside her fume for no apparent reason.

“What the hell, Korra! What did you make me drink? Can’t you go one hour without teasing me? I just wanted some water.” Asami crossed her arms over her chest and rapidly beat her fingers against her bicep, waiting rather impatiently for an explanation.

The shorter girl dropped the reigns from her grasp and lifted her hands in innocence, eyes still wide open in surprise at the accusation.

“Whoa whoa. I did give you water. I’ll prove it.” Without further explanation Korra snatched her drinking pouch from the fuming beauty and took a large chug from the container.

Asami waited impatiently for the woman to react similarly to how she had but was surprised when Korra swallowed back the disgusting fluid easily. Once finished Korra looked at the woman with a raised eyebrow, clearly telling her there was nothing fishy about what she was drinking.

“Umm yup. Tastes like water to me. Overreact, much?” Korra shoved the container back in Asami’s hand once she finished speaking. Asami eyed the flask suspiciously, trying to peer inside as she responded.

“Water is not brown. And it doesn’t taste like dirt. I don’t know what that is but it’s not water.” Asami finished with another huff as she sloshed the contents of the container around absent-mindedly, her anger from earlier doing nothing to quench her unbearable thirst.

Korra’s earlier expression of surprise darkened as her mouth twisted in a scowl, the sight nearly causing Asami to flinch away. Despite how small the girl was in height, her anger managed to unnerve the raven-haired woman. Her voice was harsh as she snapped at the vault-dweller.

“Well I’m so sorry that us lowly people don’t have pure enough drinking water for you. This,” The woman gestured towards the drinking flask, “Is what us humble peasants have to survive on. We don’t get the luxury of having delicious water whenever we want it. That shit is a privilege. The option is drink or die. And right now I don’t really care which you choose, just don’t bitch about it afterwards.”

After finishing her remark Korra returned her attention back to the road and left Asami with her eyes wide in surprise and jaw hung slightly open. The tanned woman seemed to be able to turn the tides of her emotion on the drop of a dime and Asami made sure to take note of that fact for future reference.

The cart had suddenly grown awkwardly quiet as all eyes turned to where the two women sat. Besides Mako’s, whose were shut as he dozed silently, undisturbed by the argument that happened beside him.

Asami held the drink container a little closer to her chest as she lowered her eyes guiltily to the ground, her toes meshing into the wooden plank beneath her as she attempted to disguise her bashfulness. The movement was childish but Asami her never been berated in such a way. Yes, she was aware that life in her vault was more privileged than those on the outside but she had never really given it any thought.

A swift glance to her side saw Korra’s nasals flaring slightly with agitation. The sight caused a perplexing remorse to bloom into Asami’s chest.

Despite how irritating Korra had been in the short amount of time Asami had known her the blue-eyed girl still seemed to let very little get to her. Yet it seemed a reminder of her lower social status was enough to set her off. Was it perhaps a privilege thing with the young woman, or something more?

Deciding not to ponder the question too long Asami once again lifted to the pouch to her lips and, bypassing her etiquette training, wrapped her lips around the funnel of the container and threw her head back to take a large swig of the contents.

Her face twisted queasily as she forced herself to swallow the liquid, the stuff a bit thicker to get down her throat than normal water. Regardless she was determined to drink, less worried about the fact her life depended on it and more focused on the fact she wouldn’t allow Korra to think she was some kind of entitled socialite.

Korra watched the process quietly, her scowl easing a bit but her eyes still staring daggers at the girl.

Once Asami got her fill of the fluid she flung her head forward again, forcing her lips to remain closed to not spit any of the liquid out again. After accomplishing such a difficult feat Asami turned her head to peer at the woman beside her, an apologetic smile gracing her lips before she spoke.

“You know it’s not so bad when you get pass the mud and dirt.”

Korra only clicked her tongue in a _tsking_ manner though the girls expression had softened the slightest bit. She held her hand out to the woman, her eyes never leaving the road.

“Gimme the damn thing you molerat.”

Asami distractedly handed the pouch over to its original owner before her mind suddenly clicked with the nickname. She was about to protest before she observed the tanned woman once again lift the container to her mouth, draining the canister from its contents. Despite how normal the action seemed Asami couldn’t seem to tear her eyes away from where Korra’s lips met where hers had been just moments before.

Blue iris’ gazed at her through the corner of her eyes and the next action caused Asami’s breath to hitch as her face colored a deep crimson.

As Korra released the funnel from the confines of her lips her tongue poked out the slightest bit to gently flick against the tip of the flask, capturing the lingering drop that threatened to escape the container. Korra continued to silently observe the woman beside her and when she noticed the porcelain beauty had yet to tear her eyes from her dark lips Korra continued with her ministrations.

Her tongue once again poked out from between her lips as she traced the tip of her pink muscle gently against the filter of the canteen once more, the movement much slower this time. A second later the woman allowed her tongue to dip into the opening before she quickly returned her tongue to her mouth. The entire scene lasted for a matter of two seconds but to Asami her bated breath made it seem much, much longer.

“You want to make sure you get every last drop.” The younger woman spoke as if the entire scene never took place, a certain calm to her voice as she continued. Asami could only nod dumbly in response before her attention was refocused after Korra’s next comment.

“You alright? Your face is redder than your lips.”

Asami quickly turned away from the woman, hooking her index finger in the collar of her jumpsuit as she pulled gently at the fabric to release some of the heat boiled up in her body.

“Ofcourse I am. Just still trying to adjust to this sun and the heat wave.” Asami responded nonchalantly, congratulating herself on keeping her cool despite herself. Unfortunately the feeling was not long lived.

“Oh don’t worry about that. I’ll get you out of your clothes really soon. Then we can come up with other excuses why you’re so hot.” Korra slowly trailed her gaze up and down the other woman’s body, knowing the move would irritate her. “Besides the obvious one, ofcourse.”

A cheeky grin flashed in Asami’s field of vision as she turned to look at the short girl, her face contorting into a look of revulsion at the statement. Unfortunately her voice betrayed her in her time of need.

“E-excuse me?” She silently chided herself for stuttering but chalked the mishap up to heat exhaustion, continuing with her statement. “My clothes won’t be going anywhere, thank you very much. Let alone with you.” With a huff the woman crossed her arms in defiance.

Korra’s laughter rang out loud, that cheeky grin of hers never dissipating. The sound was mocking and irked the heiress to no ends and startled Mako out of his slumber, his body jolting upright in the process.

Korra leaned in, their faces growing closer and for a brief moment Asami was under the impression her lips were going to be stolen by this irritatingly beautiful woman. At the same time Asami would not back down and give this woman the satisfaction of having won in their little competition for dominance. And if she was stupid enough to kiss her it would give Asami a damn good reason to knock some sense into the girl.

Korra suddenly halted her movements, their lips close enough that Asami could smell the tangyness of the woman’s breath, surprised that it didn’t smell as bad as she had presumed, and feel the woman’s whispered words against her lips as she spoke.

“You can put up a fight, but I assure you, those clothes are coming off.” Blue eyes trailed lower until they finally settled on Asami’s lips. “One way or another.”

Asami squeezed her own biceps tightly, her nails digging into the fabric of her jumpsuit as she did so. She had been holding her breath to keep from enticing the woman any further than she had already gone.

Emerald eyes not once left sapphire, even as they broke contact so Korra could stare at her lips. Then in a rush of movement Korra was once again sitting up straight, her finger pointed in the air in emphasis at her next word. “Because,” the woman drawled the word out, indicating she was not finished with her statement. “We can’t have you two prancing around in those outfits. You’ll attract way too much attention. So you’re going to have to change.”

Asami stared at her dumbly, dissapointed in herself for falling for yet another one of Korra’s foolishly flirtatious ploys. Instead of responding the heiress leaned back in her seat and resumed staring out her side of the cart, deciding she was better off getting lost in her own thoughts and distractions than entertaining Korra for even another second.

The moment was temporary before Asami could feel Korra once again lean in her direction, though this time she could physically feel tan lips brush against her ear as she whispered.

“Don’t be too upset, baby. I promise I’ll make up for it later.”

That was the last straw. Asami balled one of her hands up into a tight fist as her last bit of control snapped, her body urging her to swing and deck the girl as hard as she could in the jaw. Asami had never been one for violence but in her mind, some people absolutely deserved it.

Before she could act on her savage thoughts the sweet opportunity was ripped away from her when Korra was suddenly pulled back, a stern voice speaking out against her.

“Knock it off, Korra. You’re coming on way too strong.”

Asami didn’t have to look to know it was Mako that had saved Korra from getting knocked out, or, more likely, Asami getting her ass kicked for swinging on such a robust woman.

She only heard Korra grunt in response, though she could imagine the eye roll that accompanied the sound, as does most things that happen when Korra and Mako interact.

“So how much longer until we’re there?” Opal’s voice flitted over the group and Asami could have forgotten the woman was there with how quiet she had been with her private conversations with Bolin.

“You can see it from here.” Korra responded as she pointed her finger outwards, all eyes following the direction. In the distance a flat expanse of land could be seen, several crops poking up from the ground with a decently large structure settled in the middle of it.

“Welcome to Air Temple!” Bolin shouted enthusiastically as she shot his arms into the air, fists balled up in what appeared to be a victorious pose.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'd like to get some feedback so far. What do you all think? Anything you'd like to see more of? Less of? Story too slow? Confused about anything? Let me know and thanks for your continued support. :)


	6. Welcome to Air Temple

30 minutes later the caravan was strolling up to the building known as “Air Temple”, their group earning several looks from the workers who had been harvesting the crops.

Asami managed to stifle her desire to climb in the back of the cart and try and hide herself from prying eyes. It wasn’t lost on her that several questioning and awestruck gazes were directed at her. Korra’s earlier words about her outfit drawing too much attention began to ring true in her mind and now, despite her earlier arguments, she couldn’t wait to change out of her outfit. At the same time there was a certain unease about leaving her jumpsuit behind. Afterall, this was her last bit of connection she had to the people she had left behind.

A few minutes later their cart was pulled up to the building that was located in the center of all the crops. Men and women approached their cart, their heads shaved and their attire consisting of orange and red colors. Asami did her best not to stare and instead glanced at her friend, wondering if the other vault dweller was just as bewildered as she was. It seemed they had the same thought, green eyes meeting one another in confused stares. Just another mystery to chalk up to their short time in the Commonwealth.

The bald farmers began to tend to the brahman as the group piled off of their cart. Asami managed a polite thank you to the people who had assisted them and they only nodded in response, still seemingly transfixed on her getup.

“Korra!!!”

A unison of high-pitched shouts erupted a small distance from the group and moments later a quiet _oomph!_  was heard from the grown woman.

Asami looked in the direction of the scuffle and watched as three children began to climb on the woman like a jungle gym. Despite the added weight Korra seemed unfazed by the children, a genuine grin plastered to her lips as her already bright eyes seemed to lighten at the appearance of the kids. Naga yipped loudly, clearly feeding off of their excitement before she ran off from the group to explore the land and stretch her legs.

“Well hello to all of you, too.” The tanned woman responded with a small chuckle. The boy and youngest of the children climbed the young woman’s body and perched himself atop her shoulders as if it were his throne. While he sat on top the other two girls both grabbed onto Korra’s biceps and lifted their feet off the ground, forcing the woman to hold their weight.

Instead of faltering like Asami had expected Korra simply raised her arms to strike a pose, lifting the two squealing girls up in the process. The onyx locked vixen couldn’t help but be impressed by her raw strength and found the genuine grin on the girls lips rather endearing. It seems the younger woman WAS capable of being something other than a perverted annoyance.

“Korra! Korra! What are you doing here so early? Are you done with your delivery? Did you bring me anything?”

The middle child of the group began to bombard the girl with questions, a delighted smile on her young face. But before Korra had an opportunity to touch on any of the questions a loud throat clearing captured the groups attention.

The sound came from a tall, slender man with a blue arrow tattooed on his head. The man approached the group with a stern gaze though there seemed to be a gentleness to his grey eyes as he peered at the children.

“Kids, that’s no way to greet our guests. I’ve told you this before.” The man’s voice was deep and seemed to hold a sage wisdom to it, despite how simple the sentence was.

The kids collectively released there grasp from the woman with the young boy sliding down her like some sort of toy. Once satisfied the man then turned his attention to Asami and Opal, observing the women quietly. Unlike the other gazes so far, the man did not seem very surprised to see them. Or was it just that he was good at hiding it?

“It seems we have some new guests to our humble home. Please, come in, and make yourself comfortable. Our air acolytes will provide some drinks, I’m sure you’re parched after your journey.” He then turned his attention to Mako. “May I speak to you for a moment?” The young man nodded and followed after the older man while Korra, Bolin and the children gestured for the vault-dwellers to follow them.

As Asami walked she felt a gentle bump to her hand and glanced down to see the young boy grinning up at her devilishly, one of his teeth missing from his mouth. This boy was probably one of the ugliest children she had ever seen but she managed a polite smile in return. Before she could say anything he suddenly spoke.

“You’re beautiful. Can I have some of your hair?” The boy lifted his hand in the air as if he expected Asami to adhere to the request.

Asami's eyebrows shot up at the request and she began to look around at the other adults in the group, attempting to find out if she had just misheard him. Bolin only laughed at the insane request while Korra rolled her eyes, her head shaking.

“Asami, that charming little freak is Meelo.”

“The man!” The boy added after Korra had introduced him, speaking once more to reiterate his words. “Meelo the man.” The young boys eyebrows waggled across his large forehead after his introduction. Asami could only smile awkwardly and instead turned her attention to one of the girls, hoping their introductions would distract her from the boys advances. She almost preferred Korra’s flirting. Almost.

“I’m Jinora. It’s a pleasure to meet you.” The tallest of the children spoke, her voice gentle and polite. Asami knew immediately they would get along well.

The third of the children spoke up, her voice a bit shriller and unnecessarily loud.

“I’m Ikki! Are you from a vault? Which vault is it? You’re so pretty. Do you have a boyfriend? Will you tell me about him?” The bombardment of questions left Asami with little time to actually respond to them so she simply gave up with a frustrated huff, her head beginning to ache.

Her saving grace came from her best friend, stepping up beside Asami to help alleviate some of the pressure.

“I’m Opal. And this is Asami. And to answer your questions. Yes. 58. Yes. And maybe.” Opal offered her friend a smile and Asami nodded her thanks. She couldn’t even remember what the questions were but the little girl seemed satisfied with the responses and simply began to hum to herself contentedly.

They were led to a large room, various pieces of worn furniture located around the area. Asami and Opal sat on one of the couches after being prompted to do so while Bolin plopped down into a loveseat of his own, letting out a tired sigh. The children gathered around Korra and sat next to her besides for Meelo who stood next to Asami. He gave her that ugly, toothy grin once more, his eyes crinkling at the sides.

“Can I sit in your lap?”

Despite the odd interactions from earlier she had to give it to the little guy, he was kind of adorable. In the ugly kid kind of way. So she simply nodded and the boy immediately climbed onto her lap, leaning backwards to rest against her torso.

Moments later more bald workers entered the room, a teakettle and partially chipped cups in hand. They poured drinks for the travelers and all of them drank gratefully, though Asami and Opal had a harder time than others. There wasn’t much of a taste to the drink but what taste there was present was entirely bitter. The women, having grown to accept such graceful hosts entirely, drank with no complaints.

Several minutes later Mako emerged from one of the hallways with the tall man and another person, a woman who was very clearly pregnant with a gentle, motherly smile.

“I hope we haven’t missed too much. I apologize for my sudden departure earlier without an introduction. My name is Tenzin, and this is my beautiful wife Pema. Mako has told me of your predicament and I would like to let you young ladies know you’re more than welcome to stay here as long as you need.” The man punctuated his statement with a kind smile, the woman beside him nodding her head in agreement.

Asami glanced at Mako, wondering what exactly the young man could have told Tenzin. Mako wasn’t entirely aware of their situation and how could Tenzin be so willing to take in a couple of vault refugees? Her thoughts were interrupted by Mako speaking up.

“Well, we’ve got to finish this delivery. Asami, Opal, you two will stay here while we’re gone. When we get back, we can talk more about what we’re gonna do with you two.” The two women glanced at one another before nodding in unison. There was no point in arguing, they weren’t exactly fond of the idea of leaving right away anyways.

Korra and Bolin both stood up from their seats, Bolin groaning as he did so. For being so in shape the boy certainly seemed lazy. But the mans energy picked back up again as he approached Opal, a small smile playing at his lips.

“We’ll be back in a few hours. Think you two can find something to do ‘till then?” Asami was aware the question was directed at both of them but the mans eyes remained on Opal.

“Ofcourse. We’ll help out around here while you all are gone. Please, be safe.”

The young girl smiled up at him abashedly and Asami swore the two were about to share a loving embrace due to their body language. Asami was happy for her friend but bewildered at the fact that the two have only known eachother a few hours and already seemed attached at the hip.

The vixen was so preoccupied by her own thoughts she hadn’t even noticed Korra had approached them, that same mischievous smirk on her lips. The tanned woman bent over, settling her face in front of Asami’s before she spoke.

“So can I get a kiss goodbye or what?”

The older woman narrowed her eyes in a hard glare but just as she opened her mouth to speak a pair of small hands shot up and grasped Korra by the cheeks. The younger woman was pulled down suddenly and a muffled _mmf_ heard from the girl as her lips were forcefully pressed against the young boys in a sloppy kiss. After only a brief moment the boy released Korra from his grasp with a loud _mwah_ for emphasis and grinned satisfactorily at Korra. The woman only stared at the boy in stunned silence.

Asami burst out into unrestrained laughter as she stared at the woman, even snorting softly as she tried to contain herself. She would be embarrassed at her noise if not for the fact she was laughing too hard at Korra who, had in fact, began to blush slightly at the mockery. The look was absolutely adorable and it was nice to give Korra a taste of her own medicine.

“Why thank you for handling that for me, Meelo the man.” The porcelain skinned woman managed to say before falling into another fit of laughter.

“Anything for you pretty woman. Back off my girl, Korrabear!” The young boy announced with a dominant puff of his chest, daring for her to try again.

“Yeah _Korrabear.”_  The woman drawled on the nickname, a slim eyebrow arching as she noticed Korra’s blush intensify. “Back off.”

The tanned woman huffed before straightening her posture again, very clearly distressed that a young boy had managed to make it further with the woman she had been flirting with for the past few hours.

“Yah yah, whatever. Fucking cradlerobber.” The wastelander murmured quietly but received a soft whack on the head from the mother of the group.

“Korra. Language.” The woman scolded, her lips turned down into a frown.

Clearly overwhelmed by being ganged up on from all ends Korra quickly retreated from the group and turned to walk out of the area, following behind the boys towards their cart. But a sudden shout from Asami followed the woman out.

“And when you get back we’re talking about that molerat nickname from earlier!”

She only received a dismissive wave over the shoulder in response.

______ 

 

“What do you think? Think we’re ready to test it out?”

“I don’t see why not. Lemme see the wrench quickly.”

As the wrench was handed over the younger vault dweller began to tighten the bolt she had been ogling, making sure there was no room for the thing to become loose once they started their test runs. After finishing the woman swiped her forearm across her forehead, relieving her skin of the perspiration that had settled there since their work began.

“There, that should do it. It’s an older model but I think it’ll run like brand new after this.” The young woman smiled up at the matriarch that had been overseeing their work, her eyes lit up with gratitude.

“Well, let’s see what you little geniuses have come up with.”

Asami nodded and flipped the on switch to the water purifier. The motor stalled for a moment, adjusting after such a long time of no use, before kicking to life. All the women slapped their hands together in excitement as the motor continued to run without issues and Asami could have sworn she had noticed the mother’s eyes mist up with appreciation.

“I don’t know how to thank you girls… We’ve been having to purify our water by hand. We struggled for so long after this broke and we just couldn’t afford another and…” The woman trailed off as she lifted a hand to her eye, wiping the tear that threatened to escape. The sight made Asami’s heart ache. This woman had been nothing but hospitable and kind to her and Opal since they arrived, she didn’t deserve to live a life of hardship like this.

Asami simply shook her head, offering a soft smile to the woman.

“It’s the least we could do for you letting us stay here and giving us clothes. You’ve been nothing but a gracious host since we’ve arrived. If there’s anything else we can do, please don’t hesitate to ask.”

Opal nodded in response and began to wade her way out of the shallow river they had been working in. The water felt cool on her hot flesh but Asami didn’t want to think about the little critters that she had felt wiggle past her feet while she was working. The feeling nearly startled her out of the water the first few times but she eventually got use to it, forcing her mind to think of something other than the creatures in the water.

Before the woman could respond the sound of mewling brahman was heard at the front of the house. This sound captured the older woman’s attention and she turned towards the noise.

“Seems the other kids are home. We should go greet them so I can tell them the great news.”

There was almost a small bounce in the pregnant woman’s step as she led the two younger woman towards the front of the house. Asami’s heart swelled at the fact that something she had done caused this woman so much happiness. That’s exactly what the heiress wanted to do; help people.

As they approached the group who had just arrived Asami noticed their cart was completely empty of the products from earlier. The fact that so many killing machines had been dropped off to people caused her stomach to drop a bit.

The trio exited their cart and stretched their limbs outwards, various cracks and pops accompanying the movements. Each one earned a groan of satisfaction from the person in question. It wasn’t until they were finished stretching that Asami had received a look from Korra, that provoking smirk on her lips.

“Well, don’t you clean up nicely. You don’t look half bad in peasant clothing.”

Asami had dressed in a white tank top and pair of torn khaki shorts. She wasn’t very comfortable with exposing so much of her skin but unfortunately the heat had quickly become unbearable. She held a red and black plad shirt over her arm but had yet to put it on. She wanted to enjoy the feel of sun on her skin for as long as possible. But as Korra stared at her like a piece of meat she was tempted to forget what she wanted and cover her modesty.

“I can’t really say the same for you.” She smarted back.

Korra lifted her hand to her heart, her lower lip jutting outwards in a feigned pout.

“Now that hurts. Here I am, telling you how beautiful you are, and all you do is hurt me. We really need to talk about us if we want our relationship to last.”

Asami could only scoff at her response, though she barely managed to suppress a small smile. The girl was persistent and goofy, she’ll give her that.

“Oh really? I think any chance at our “relationship” lasting ended when you called me a molerat.” Asami’s eyes narrowed accusingly at the girl, her arms folding over her chest as she waited for her explanation on the stupid nickname.

Korra only laughed in response, lifting her hands in surrender.

“Okay okay. Let me explain myself. I wasn’t referring to how you look. It was more of the fact that you live underground. That’s what I was getting out of it.” The girl smiled innocently, that same lopsided smile that looked so pure it was almost hard to believe this woman was a perverted creep.

“Uh huh. Sure it is.” Asami rolled her eyes.

“Hey it’s true! Asami, you’re by far one of the most beautiful women I have ever seen in my entire life.” Korra’s voice had gone from playful to sincere, that smile never erasing from her lips.

The compliment made Asami’s heart flutter a bit, her look going from irritated to a bit more bashful. _Oh no you don’t heart. You just settle your little ass right back down. She probably says that to everyone she’s trying to screw_. Asami talked herself down from her momentary high and only cleared her throat, not allowing the woman to see what such a compliment had done to her. Though the look on Korra’s face made her want to believe every word of it.

“And don’t you forget it, Korrabear.”

“How very modest of you, princess.”

“Who needs modesty when you’ve got looks like these?” As if to prove her point Asami threw her raven locks over her shoulder in an exaggerated hair flip. She didn’t normally act so cocky but she assumed with Korra she wouldn’t be judged for joking around like this.

Korra could only snort quietly, chuckling softly at the woman in front of her. She stepped forward and pressed her hand into the small of Asami’s back, leading the woman once again into the house with their group in tow behind her. The touch was rather tame this time so Asami allowed it, opting to break the woman’s wrist if she decided to get too handsy. Thankfully it didn’t come to that.

As they entered the room everyone had taken their previous seats. The group this time consisted of Opal, Bolin, Mako, Korra, Asami and Pema. Apparently Tenzin had taken the kids to “reflect on their fortunes” or whatever that had meant. Pema was the first one to speak, her tone reflecting her excitement.

“I can’t be more grateful that you all brought these two blessings to us. These young ladies fixed up our old water purifier and now it runs like brand new!” The grin on the woman’s face was all the thanks Asami would ever need.

Bolin whistled in acknowledgement, his eyebrows raised.

“That’s impressive ladies. Who knew you would be so good with machines.”

“Bolin, they’ve lived in that vault their entire lives. They literally made the machines that we use.” Mako reiterated with a sigh, once again pinching the bridge of his nose at his own brothers lack of attention to detail.

“That doesn’t mean that everyone does it Mako! Geez, I’m not that stupid.”

“Debatable.” Murmured Korra before taking a long drink from her flask which she had refilled before her trip out.

“Anyways,” Interrupted Mako before an argument could ensue. “Let’s get down to business. We need to figure out what to do with you two.”

Asami and Opal glanced at one another before nodding. Unfortunately the two hadn’t had much opportunity to discuss what they were going to do after all of this.

“Honestly, we’re not so sure ourselves.” Opal spoke up, slumping her shoulder dejectedly.

Mako raised his eyebrow at this, cocking his head slightly.

“Not sure? What was your plan if we hadn’t found you guys?”

Both women hesitated, their eyebrows furrowing as they thought about the question. What would they have done? Honestly they probably would have ended up with this guy Zaheer and lord knows what would have happened after that.

“We didn’t really have a plan. We were just going to wing it and see what happens. I think you guys finding us like this was a blessing in disguise.” Opal continued and Asami nodded her agreement.

This seemed to perplex the group of wastelanders as they all glanced at one another. Clearly they understood how absurd that idea was, but unfortunately the vault-dwellers underestimated just how dangerous this land was.

“Well, I think it’s time you two told us why you left to begin with.” Mako leaned back in his seat and got comfortable, showing the women the time has come they make true on their promise from earlier.

Asami took the lead in explaining their predicament, explaining everything from her fathers dissapearance, her claim as Overseer, the takeover from Noatak and how escaping was likely the only way she would have survived.

Korra and Bolin leaned on their knees in anticipation, eyes wide with interest as the heiress recounted the story. Mako on the otherhand remained calm and collected, taking in the information quietly.

Once Asami had finished she looked around the group, waiting for a reaction, any kind. All of them just remained quiet until finally Korra spoke up, her voice hesitant for the first time since they had met.

“So your dad left? And you don’t know where he went?” The look that Mako had shot Korra was lost on Asami, the vixen glancing down at her feet as she nodded slowly.

“Do you think he’s somewhere here in the Commonwealth?” Korra continued to pressure the woman with questions but Asami’s responses remained dull, a simple shrug of her shoulders the only response.

With a huff Korra leaned back in her seat and folded her arms, glancing at Mako exasperatedly. The male only glared at her in return, shaking his head just barely. Asami may have been missing the interaction between the two but Opal surely hadn’t. Her eyebrow raised suspiciously as she watched them closely, no bit of movement escaping her sight.

Pema rose from her seat where she had been silently listening and made her way over to the heiress. Without much thought of her reasoning she wrapped the young heiress in a protective embrace.

Asami’s eyes widened in surprise at the contact but she didn’t shy away. It had been so long since she felt a motherly touch and she sunk into the feeling, her head pressing into Pema’s shoulder as she gently returned the hug.

“Well, what about your mom? Would she know?” Korra continued to pester with questions and Asami physically tensed in Pema’s embrace. The mother took note of it and shot Korra a scowl over her shoulder.

“I think that’s enough questions for now.”

Korra threw her hands in the air, returning the scowl as she responded.

“Hey I’m just trying to help her out here!”

“My mother died when I was 6.” The heiress spoke quietly, though the silence that followed after was enough to let her know they had all heard her. Pema squeezed her tightly, reassuringly, but Asami wasn’t going to cry. She had long used up her tears on the topic. Korra decided to lower her hands to her lap and stare at them quietly, no longer in the mood to pester the woman for information.

“Just one more question and we’re done, I promise. Asami, would you like to try to find your dad?” Mako had spoken this time but the question had caught the woman completely by surprise. She had managed to gently wiggle herself from Pema’s hold to look at Mako with wide eyes, as if trying to decide if she had heard him correctly. Mako only waited patiently for a response and was actually thankful for the fact she was given time to think it through

Did she want to find Hiroshi? If he was here somewhere the idea seemed like a good one. The problem was there was no assurance that he was even in the Commonwealth, or alive for that matter. What would be the point on going on a wild goose chase? Her and Opal knew nothing about this place, anyways. They’d die going out into the wilds trying to look for somebody that may not even be here.

“I mean, I would love to find him. But I don’t even know if he’s alive. And I don’t want to put Opal and I in any more danger. We’ll die out there. I honestly think our best bet is to just settle down somewhere.” Opal reached across and placed her hand reassuringly on Asami’s offering her silent support in the decision.

“You wouldn’t be alone.” Mako spoke again and both Asami and Opal’s eyes snapped towards him, a questioning expression gracing their faces.

“Me, Korra and Bolin will be there to help you out. You vault-dwellers wouldn’t last a day by yourself.” He offered a smile to his joke but it fell flat as Opal eyed him suspiciously, not convinced by his response.

“And why would you do that? What do you possibly have to gain by helping us?”

Mako shrugged his shoulders, continuing in a calm tone of voice despite being accused of foul play.

“If I were a liar, I’d say it’s because we’re good people trying to do the right thing. But we’re not. Well, maybe Bolin is. But I have ulterior motives. Hiroshi Sato is one of the men known for creating several machines we use today. If that man is still alive, I would love to see what he has been doing with his time and what new equipment he’s made. And perhaps he’ll be so grateful that he’s been reunited with his daughter he’ll reward her protectors with some of that gear.”

“So you’re basically using us.” Responded Opal coldly, a scowl on her beautiful lips.

Mako once again shrugged, continuing with his nonchalant behavior.

“I’m not going to lie to you. Besides, it’s not like we’re going to just run off with the equipment. This place is our home, anything we get is going to these people to help them.”

At his declaration Opal softened and Asami could only smile. That sounds exactly like something she wanted to do.

“Well… If you all really would like to help me, I think that’s a fair enough price to pay. Yah… Yah! Let’s do it!” It was as if Asami had found new life, a new meaning for continuing. The prospect that she may be reunited with her father after all this time caused her to be giddy with excitement, a wide smile gracing her lips.

The group returned her enthusiastic smile, all of them nodding their agreements. The three wastelanders stood up, getting ready to set out once again.

“But where would we even start?” Opal continued to question, though she had visibly relaxed.

“I have a good friend in Diamond City. He’s a detective and if anyone will know, he will. So pack up ladies, we’re going to the big city.”

The girls eyes widened in excitement, barely able to contain themselves as they looked at one another. It was then that Asami snapped her fingers in realization, remembering a piece of information that might help their situation.

“I’m not sure if this will help at all, but I remember one of my advisors saying something about him suddenly dissapearing.”

“Any information will help.”

Asami nodded, continuing on.

“Right. Well I think my dad might have something to do with the Institute. Err, I think that’s what she called it. It’s been awhile.” Asami chuckled softly and shrugged helplessly.

A sudden palpable silence overtook the room and Asami was just about to question if she had said something wrong before a quick movement from both Mako and Korra startled her from speaking.

And for the second time that day, she found herself staring down the barrel of a gun.


	7. Late Night Calls

Asami was too shocked to speak, trying to discover if the sight of the gun pointed between her eyes was a hallucination or not.

Just moments ago they were all excited and speaking about the future. What could have suddenly caused a switch like this? Asami was far too stunned to try and come up with an answer to that thought.

A shrill voice yelled out, snapping Asami from her shock. Her green eyes widened fearfully, her body beginning to shake.

“Korra! Mako! Put those guns away, now!” Pema ordered them, though she herself hadn’t moved from her position beside Asami.

“Pema get away from her!” Korra ordered and grasped the pregnant woman by the arm swiftly, jerking her away from the vault-dweller.

Without Pema by her side Asami suddenly felt cold and alone. She wanted to find out if Opal was receiving the same treatment as her but she had convinced herself if she looks away from the weapon this time she would surely be shot.

“Are you a fucking synth?” Mako’s voice demanded harshly, but before Asami could even conjure a response he was yelling at her again, the barrel of the weapon pressing against her forehead.

“I said are you a fucking synth?! Answer me before I blow your fucking brains out!”

Asami was once again frozen in fear for the nth time that day, lost in her thoughts as she tried to decipher what it was Mako was asking. What was a synth? Why would he accuse her of being one? And why now?

“Answer the question! You have 5 seconds!” Korra shouted out as well, her voice filled with disgust as she stared at Asami as if she were a monster.

“5.”

Asami could only hear the number, unable to form a coherent response.

“4.”

The sound of a click told her the gun was locked and loaded, ready to end her life in an instant.

“3.”

Asami attempted to desperately shake her head but the movement was so minimal it was as if she wasn’t moving at all.

“2.”

The reality of her situation began to sink in. Her cowardice had once again prevailed and this time it would be the death of her, literally.

As Korra opened her mouth to utter the final number there were 2 loud __whack__  heard and groans following after. Before Asami had time to react there was a burly body standing in front of her, forcing Mako’s weapon away from where it had previously been pressed against her forehead.

Asami began to blink rapidly, attempting to assess the situation. Bolin was standing protectively in front of her, glaring at his two friends who had moments ago threatened Asami’s life. The two in question were currently rubbing the back of their heads, pained expressions on their faces. And Pema was holding a rolled magazine in her hand, glaring at both Korra and Mako, daring them to act out again. The woman spoke, her voice sending goosebumps over Asami’s skin. She would hate to be the people on the receiving end of that voice.

“When I tell you to put your guns away the option is not up for debate!” The woman wasn’t yelling but the severity in her voice was enough to let the two know they were in for a heavy scolding. “While you are in my home you will listen to my rules or you can leave until you decide to clean up your act!”

For the first time that day Asami witnessed the two look genuinely guilty, their gazes holding the ground and refusing to meet the matriarchs. Both had lowered their weapons, though it was reluctantly and only because they’d likely receive another hit to the head if they disobeyed.

“Now then. I’m going to leave for a few minutes. When I come back I expect apologies to be delivered. And they had better be good enough that this sweet girl forgives you for your behavior or so help me…” To punctuate the statement the matriarch slapped the magazine against her open palm, both Korra and Mako visibly flinching from the sound.

There was an awkward silence that filled the room, both Korra and Mako looking anywhere except at the heiress. Though the task would be difficult anyways considering Bolin had yet to move from in front of her, as if daring the two to act out while Pema was away. It happened to be that same man that finally broke the silence.

“Well?Are you two going to apologize?” He folded his arms over his chest, his glare never easing as he stepped a bit to the side to reveal the woman to them.

Asami’s expression remained neutral. Truth be told, she didn’t want to hear anything from either of them. Their short fuses and “shoot first ask later” mindset was far too risky to be around, in Asami’s opinion. Even if they somehow managed to get her to forgive them, which she doubted would happen, she was heavily considering leaving the group entirely and finding her own way. That option seemed more safe, as insane as that idea was.

Movement beside her showed Opal also standing up and taking a similar posture as Bolin’s, though she moved to the other side of Asami. It was as if having two personal bodyguards around and, despite neither of them holding a weapon, she couldn’t help but feel safer.

“Fuck apologies! What the hell is wrong with you two?” Opal, choosing to not take the calm route Pema had, began yelling at the two responsible, her lips twisted in a nasty snarl.

“Why don’t you ask her.” Mako nodded at Asami, a scowl of his own present on his lips. “She’s the synth!”

“We don’t even know what a synth is you idiot!” Opal snapped at him, throwing her arms in the air exasperatedly.

“They’ve been in the vaults their entire life, Mako. Ofcourse they don’t know what a synth is. How could you expect her to answer that question?”

Mako didn’t respond immediately, apparently thinking on his response. Instead he huffed out loud and sat back in the chair nearest to him, slumping his body as he looked away.

Asami couldn’t believe this boy had the audacity to sit there and pout after she had been a victim of his threats just moments before. Whatever positive opinions she held for the man were quickly washed down the drain.

“Will somebody just explain to us what a synth is, already?!”

Korra sighed loudly, speaking as if she were reciting something she was reading from an article.

“A synth is a synthetic humanoid designed by the Institute to look, function and behave like humans. They’re basically indistinguishable from people. The only way you’d be able to tell if they’re a synth or not is getting a look on the inside.”

“And you two were willing to risk shooting Asami who, is in fact, a human to find out? What would you have done once you realized she was human?”

Korra lifted her hand and began to rub the back of her neck anxiously, once again looking anywhere except at the group of people in front of her. Her non-verbal response said it all. They didn’t have a plan if that had in fact been the case.

Opal began to visibly shake with the anger she was barely keeping down but a soft grasp of her hand pulled her attention away from the two.

Asami held her hand delicately, offering a reassuring smile up to her friend. The smile did little to deter her anger but Opal did in fact opt to not speak anymore, instead simply glaring at them once again.

“You two really need to start thinking things through before you just go around shooting people.” Bolin added in, still none too pleased with the behavior of his companions.

“Yeah, we get it Bo.” Korra groaned.

“No, I don’t think you do. Use your heads! Why would a synth willingly mention the Institute? All it would do is draw attention to them. She was clearly just trying to help you out and you turned it on her.” The boy was beginning to sound exasperated, clearly annoyed that he had to explain to them that their behavior was completely uncalled for.

Silence followed his statement for an entire minute, nobody willing to speak up. It wasn’t until Mako audibly huffed that he stood back up and walked towards the trio, his hands stuffed into his pocket. He stopped when Bolin stepped forward, clearly still in a protection mode over the heiress.

“Listen I’m just trying to apologize like Pema told us. You can’t blame us for being afraid like this, Bo. But, you’re right. We did overreact. We should have given her a chance.”

Asami stared at him blankly. Was that his apology? Apparently not, since he opened his mouth to continue speaking, but Asami was quick to interrupt by standing.

“Save it. I’m not interested in hearing what you have to say. We can still find my dad together, but after that I want nothing to do with you.” She glanced in Korra’s direction, her expression remaining neutral as she continued. “Either of you.”

Korra once again winced as if she had been struck by Pema for a third time that day, though this time it was an emotional strike. Despite her hard exterior she recognized when she was in the wrong. And Asami had in fact been nothing but helpful and patient with all of them. Guilt ate away at the tanned woman, her blue eyes staring pleadingly in Asami’s direction. Unfortunately the woman refused to meet her gaze.

The clattering of dishes approaching captured all of their attention as Pema once again reentered the room, staring around the group but sending a certain piercing glare at two of them. In one hand she held a metal pitcher and the other a platter with several different cups on it. She read each of their expressions carefully, her eyebrow raised s if to question if everything worked out. Asami simply offered her a practiced smile, knowing just about anybody would believe it to be true if not trained to catch it. With a nod Pema returned the smile, lifting the pitcher in her hand.

“Well then, let’s take advantage of our guests kindness and let me show you what they’ve done for us!” Pema settled the platter on the table and began to pour a clear liquid in all of the cups, offering one to each person there.

Each individual graciously took their cup and drank, a hum of approval erupting around the room at the delicious taste. It was water, clear and purified, but to most of the group it was an unusual taste that helped them escape their impoverished lives.

“Holy shit, Pema!” Korra exclaimed then quickly clapped a hand over her mouth, staring wide-eyed at the mother who only stared disapprovingly back.

“I mean… wow! This is delicious. Where did you get this water?”

The mother began to grin, looking at both Asami and Opal as they sipped at the fluid in their cups.

“I told you those two young ladies fixed our water purifier. I figured we could test it out and celebrate. It seems they did a wonderful job.”

Both women smiled at the praise they received, glad to have assisted such a kind woman.

“It was really nothing, Pema. Fixing things is kind of what we do. If you need anything else looked at before we leave we’ll be more than happy to help.” Opal only nodded in agreement.

“I couldn’t ask any more of you two. You’ve already done so much for us.” The woman sipped at her own cup, eyeing the group suspiciously before speaking out again.

“Dinner will be in 20 minutes. Then I expect you all to rest up. You have a long day ahead of you tomorrow.”

The group announced their agreement in unison.

______ 

 

Asami lay on her cot, the lack of comfort forcing her to simply lay awake with nothing but her thoughts. The day had been an emotional rollercoaster for her. Trying to maintain herself during the entire escapade had left her both physically and emotionally drained.

Green eyes skirted across her tiny room, the space barely big enough to hold her sleeping cot and a lone chair in the corner. The room was illuminated in a gentle light, the source being the moon that poked through her broken window pane. Suddenly Bolin’s words from earlier had rang true in the heiress’ mind. “ _ _Can you imagine…Having a comfy bed to sleep in and clean drinking water.__ ”

Asami now began to see just how privileged she had been throughout her life. But at the same time there was disadvantages to what she had been forced to live through.

She had never known freedom like this or even been exposed to the warmth of the sun. She knows very little outside of her own vault. Sure, the world outside of the vault was dangerous, but atleast outside she was given the option to run from the danger. Vault-dwellers certainly were not as lucky.

A knock at her door caused Asami to jump, her eyes instinctively looking for her clock to relay to her the time. It took a few moments for her to recall that there was no clock and for some reason the thought made a wave of homesickness flush through her stomach.

Before she had an opportunity to get too lost on the feeling another knock resounded from her door. Asami quickly slid over the side of her cot and approached the door, both expecting and hoping to see her friend on the other side.

A pair of blue eyes were clearly visible in the twilight of the hallway, indicating to Asami it was the very last person she wanted to see at her doorstep. Her response was immediate.

“Not happening.”

She promptly went to shut the door in the woman’s face but was unable to completely close it, a foot slipping into the doorway.

“Ow! Wait! That’s not what I’m here for!” The woman pleaded in a hushed whisper, careful to not wake up the other patrons that were only a few doors down.

Asami was not interested in hearing what the girl had to say, beginning to kick her foot a bit to force the obstacle out of the way. Unfortunately the younger woman easily overpowered her, pressing her body into the door and forcing it open.

“If you come any closer I swear I will scream.” Asami warned as she stepped back, hunching her body a bit in a defensive posture.

She was aware there was little she could do if Korra actually wanted to hurt her, but she was tired of being helpless and weak. She’d defend herself to the best of her abilities instead of standing idly by.

“Relax. I told you I’m not here for that. I just want to talk.” The girl assured her, lifting her hands innocently in the air.

“You just forced yourself into my room. I don’t want to hear anything from you, Korra. Now leave!” Her voice was getting a bit louder, no longer a courteous whisper for her neighbors.

“Shh!” The woman pleaded, blue eyes widening in concern as she lifted a finger to her lips. “Just hear me out! I’m not going to hurt you, I promise.”

The older woman scoffed at this, her eyes narrowing into green slits. “You pointed a gun at me twice today. Go fuck yourself and your promise.” She seethed, her breathing becoming a bit heavier as her anger flared.

“You’re right. Absolutely right. That’s why I wanted to explain myself, if you’ll please just hear me out. Here.” The woman slowly reached behind her back and pulled out an object, the moonlight reflecting off of it to reveal it was in fact a gun.

Asami paled, her eyes trained on the weapon. For the third time in a matter of a day the heiress found herself speechless, unable to react to the fear gripping her heart.

Korra noticed how the woman across from her locked up and immediately set the weapon on the ground and scoot it towards the other woman with her foot. Once it was close enough Korra stepped back again, allowing the vixen to decide on her own.

Asami’s eyes not once left the gun, even as it was skirted in her direction. Once Korra added space between them her green eyes finally flickered upwards to meet blue, a clear question within their depths.

“If I make you feel threatened at all, you’ll have that to defend yourself. But like I said. I only want to talk. Nothing more.”

The sincerity in the woman’s voice told Asami she was speaking the truth. But the woman was already known for changing her mind on a dime and the uncertainty left the heiress with a certain unease.

She quickly bent over and retrieved the weapon from the ground, firmly holding it in her hands. Without a moments hesitation she pointed it at the girl and took a step forward, her eyes narrowing dangerously.

“And what makes you think I won’t just shoot you for everything you’ve done to me today? I bet if it was the other way around you would do it in a heartbeat.” She spoke harshly through clenched teeth, taking another step forward.

Korra seemed unfazed, no visible reaction forming on her face. Instead the shorter girl took a slow step forward, allowing Asami to speak out her discomfort if she chose to do so.

When there was no verbal complaint Korra took another step, physically pressing her chest up against the barrel of the gun. The younger woman didn’t seem deterred by the fact that she was now a simple flick of the finger away from death.

As Korra grew closer Asami was now able to get a better look at the young woman, the moonlight illuminating her room and making Korra’s skin appear a shade lighter.

The wastelander was dressed very scandalously, a light blue sports bra covering her modesty up top and tight, black boy shorts covering what was below. The woman’s dark hair was released from her ponytail, the locks cascading over her shoulders in untamed waves, though her bangs remained loose and messy on her forehead. The woman was absolutely ripped, muscles gracing every exposed piece of her body. Though somehow the woman had still managed to keep a feminine shape to her, the muscles not appearing overly robust but settling naturally on her body. The woman’s voice brought her from her silent thoughts.

“I won’t lie to you and say that I wouldn’t. Because I would. But you? You won’t.” Asami opened her mouth to argue but was quickly cut off. “And I don’t mean that in a bad way. It’s a good thing actually. You use your head and think things through. But that’s just not me. Not a whole lot going on up here.” The girl offered that lop-sided, toothy smile of hers, tapping on her head for emphasis. When she received not even a hint of a smile in return she dropped her shoulders in a sigh.

“Listen, you and I grew up completely different. You were safe,” when Asami’s eyes narrowed angrily the woman quickly caught herself. “I mean, from what I assume you were safe. Or atleast safe enough that you never had to use one of these.” Korra nodded her head towards the gun and Asami had no choice but to silently agree. “But me? I learned to use a gun before I was 5 years old. How they worked, how to fix and build them. I mastered a weapon before I could even read. And I’m still not very good at that, either.” The woman once again attempted at a joke but Asami’s face remained neutral. The heiress decided humor was this woman’s default to help ease herself in a difficult situation.

“Protecting my family, that’s my top priority, even over my own life.” At those words Asami felt herself relate to the woman. She gave up everything to keep her own family in the vault safe. Everything she knew about her life was torn from her just to keep them safe.

“Earlier I reacted like that because I thought my family was in danger. And I admit that I did react poorly, but it’s just an instinct. But if you’ll please just let me apologize…” The woman trailed off and stared pleadingly up at the older girl, her eyes wide and puppy like. Asami found herself struggling to reject the girl who was practically begging her for a chance. With a sigh Asami finally lowered the weapon and stared down at the woman expectantly. The grin Korra flashed her was blinding with gratitude.

“I’m so, so sorry Asami. I was an idiot to react like that. From now on I’ll try to use my head more. Or, better yet, you can just do all the thinking for me. You be the brains, and I’ll be the sexy brawn.” To reiterate her statement the girl lifted her muscular arms and began flexing exaggeratedly.

Asami could feel the corner of her own lips twitch up into a brief smile. The look faded though once she glanced to the side, finally speaking out.

“How do I know I can trust you?” Her voice was barely above a whisper and out of the corner of her eye she saw Korra deflate. Asami closed her eyes, knowing there was practically nothing this young girl could do to earn her trust over night.

A warm hand sliding over her cheek forced her eyes to pop open, her face being forcibly turned until her eyes met with a striking blue. The determined look in Korra’s eyes and her set jaw caused her to catch her breath. For the first time in that day Asami had felt truly safe, but the feeling was only brief.

“I can’t ask you to forgive me. And I know I’m going to have to work my ass off to earn your trust. But I need you to believe me when I say this.” Asami had been holding her breath the entire time, unable to tear her gaze away.

“I promise that while you’re with me, I will do everything in my power to keep you safe.” The declaration made Asami quiver with an unknown feeling, though it seemed Korra’s rant was not finished.

“You haven’t complained about your situation once and I truly admire that. You’ve been through hell and back in the matter of 24 hours. You’re strong, Asami. Maybe not as strong as me,” Korra winked at the heiress, earning a soft eyeroll in return. “But still very strong. So let’s start over.”

Korra finally dropped her hand from Asami’s cheek though it was slowly, her fingertips brushing over the soft flesh. Asami could barely hide her surprise at how smooth the woman’s hands were.

“My name’s Korra. I’m a hot-headed savage that likes to eat and swear all day. But don’t let that fool you, you can always count on me to diffuse a tense situation with incredibly inappropriate humor.”

Asami couldn’t help but chuckle softly at the girls introduction. She had to give it to the young woman, she certainly was a goof to be around.

When she noticed Korra hadn’t continued speaking she glanced at the woman, blue eyes staring back at her expectantly. A slim eyebrow arched slightly, debating whether or not she wanted to indulge in this ridiculous restart. Eventually she decided to humor her guest.

“My name is Asami. I like to break things then fix them again just because I can. I like to take charge and hate being told what to do. And I’m not afraid to call somebody out when they’re acting like a complete idiot.”

After finishing she stared at Korra, wondering what the woman’s next reaction would be. Perhaps they could actually get along with this little restart of theirs. Ofcourse, she was foolishly mistaken.

A smirk graced tanned lips as her blue eyes narrowed, a look Asami had become all too familiar with in the short time they’ve known one another.

“Like to take charge, huh? Speaking of inappropriate humor…” The woman trailed off and allowed her eyes to sweep over Asami’s nightwear. It consisted simply of a pair of black underwear and the white tank top she had been wearing earlier. She wasn’t expecting guests tonight, afterall.

Asami forced herself to not roll her eyes, worried that with how much she had been doing it lately she would become stuck like that. She was tired of being teased and decided to give this girl a taste of her own medicine.

Asami stepped forward, lifting a hand to press her palm lightly to a tanned collarbone. She felt the girl twitch beneath her and Asami had to keep from smirking at the reaction. Perhaps the girl wasn’t as confident as she seemed.

“That’s right. Do you have a problem with that?” Her voice was calm but strong, holding the authority that she was familiar with in its depths.

She stepped forward once more until their bodies were pressed up against one another. Asami forced herself to remain calm and not back down from the challenge she provoked. What she didn’t expect was for Korra to falter.

“U-uh no. No. Ofcourse not.” Asami watched as the girls throat bobbed, most likely embarrassed that she had stuttered in front of the heiress.

Korra’s falter in confidence only emboldened the vixen, her body pressing forward once again and forcing the younger girl to slowly move backwards. Tanned hands lifted to grasp at creamy hips, helping the girl remain upright as she was forced backwards by the push of another body.

“Are you sure? You don’t seem like the lay down and take it type.”

Asami allowed a seductive smirk to grace her lips, knowing the innuendo would not be lost on the pervert in front of her. Nails gently gripped into her hips and she had to audibly hold back a whimper, instead returning the feeling in kind.

She allowed her fingernails to scrape lightly against Korra’s collarbone, provoking a shiver from the younger girl. Blue eyes became lidded as Korra’s breathing picked up slightly, the visible part of her iris’ darkening with what Asami could only describe as lust. The wastelanders voice was husky as she spoke, dripping with need as the heiress worked her into a frenzy with just simple touches.

“I’d be willing to lay down and take it if…” The woman couldn’t even finish her sentence as slender fingers began to lightly trace down her collarbone, over the large bump of her breasts, down her sculpted abdomen and into her tight waistband. Asami slipped two fingers into the elastic of her boy shorts and jerked her hand backwards, forcing the woman to press their hips tightly against one another. The helpless whimper from the tanned women that followed the connection caused a familiar heat to pool in Asami’s stomach and she had to force herself to remain focused. There was no way she was getting turned on by this aggravating woman, she wouldn’t allow it. She forced herself to keep her composure, her eyes narrowing as she stared down at the woman.

“If…?” Asami pressured the woman to continue, Asami’s eyes remaining locked on the woman’s face. Korra seemed to have different plans, her blue eyes locked on the red, luscious lips in front of her. Taking advantage of this fact Asami allowed the tip of her tongue to slip between her lips, swiping gently along her own top lip to moisten and work the girl up even further.

The plan was a success, Korra’s eyes following the small swipe of her tongue. The young girl had even gone as far as gently moving her tanned hips in one, slow roll against Asami’s. After what felt like ages the shorter woman finally responded.

“If you were the one between my legs.” She finally husked out, her breathing having increased in pace once more. Asami was surprised in her own ability to remain calm, feeling a certain power at having this kind of reaction out of a girl she barely knew.

“Mmm.” The older woman hummed, almost groaning out loud. The noise was intentional, ofcourse, and she could feel Korra squeeze her hips even tighter. Asami was fairly certain she would have bruises tomorrow.

“Well, I only have one thing to say to that.” Asami whispered softly, her voice dripping with ecstasy as she gave another pull on Korra’s underwear, the young woman releasing yet another pathetic whimper at the contact.

“And what’s that?” Her voice was nearly pleading and more high-pitched then usual.

Korra lifted her head up, her lips slowly inching closer to Asami’s as her eyes remained locked on her target destination.

Asami didn’t back away and managed to hide her smirk as she suddenly moved her other hand forward and pressed the gun she had been holding into Korra’s shorts. She released the elastic from her grasp and the tight material snapped closed around the gun, trapping it in Korra’s waist.

The blue eyed woman yelped loudly at the sudden press of cold metal on her flesh and Asami took advantage of her surprise by pressing her porcelain hand to Korra’s chest and gently shoving her backwards and out into the hallway.

Blue eyes were wide with shock as she stared unbelievably at the devil in front of her. Asami finally allowed that smirk to grace her lips as she spoke.

“Goodnight, Korra.” The sentence was punctuated with an audible click of the door closing.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> SO some of you are probably thinking, "Why the hell do you make Asami unable to speak when she's scared." Well, my dear readers. If you haven't figured it out yet, Asami has an anxiety disorder called Selective Mutism. It is real, and if you don't know what it is feel free to look it up. I tried to hint at her anxiety from the beginning of the story and I had no intention of revealing it but I don't want you all to get annoyed with her lack of response.
> 
> Other then that, hope you enjoyed this nice little tidbit. ;) I can honestly say the last bit was completely random and not originally apart of the plan lol! I'm sure you're not complaining.....


	8. Revelations

Asami had awoke early and was currently in what she presumed was the kitchen, helping Pema prep for breakfast. It was nothing luxurious like the woman was familiar with. The meal consisted of vegetables and fruit along with rice.

“You don’t have to help dear. You should go sit down and relax. You’re a guest.”

Asami only flashed a quick smile at the matriarch, temporarily allowing herself to become distracted from cutting up vegetables.

“I don’t mind at all. I was up anyways so I might as well help.”

The pregnant woman hummed softly, her hand trailing softly over the bump on her stomach.

“You’re a sweet girl, Asami. When everything is done and over with, I hope you can come see all of us again. You’re welcome to our home anytime.”

The vixens heart fluttered softly at the sincerity in the older woman’s voice and turned her head to hide her blush from sight. Despite it having been such a short time Asami felt completely comfortable with this home. It seemed like a safe place.

“You have a beautiful family, Pema. It would be my honor to come visit all of you again.”

A loud yell alerted Asami and Pema that they were no longer the only ones up and about. Pema groaned softly and Asami could only chuckle, resuming her work with vegetables.

_____ 

 

“Meelo! Quit trying to balance the plate on your face.” Tenzin scolded the youngest boy, his face twisted in a stern expression.

The boy had been trying to show off to Asami since they sat down at the table. Apparently balancing a plate was a feat noteworthy of attraction. Asami could only smile apologetically at the older man.

“But dad!” The boy whined, his voice reaching a higher pitch. “I’m trying to show her how cool Meelo the Man is!” The boy’s lower lip jutted out into a pout, urging the man to change his mind.

“How about you show her how cool you are by not being so stupid?” Ikki commented snidely, her tongue poking out. Meelo returned the gesture, their eyes squinted as they did so.

“Ugh. Meelo, Ikki, your voices are the last thing I want to hear this early in the morning.” An irritated, sleepy voice erupted from the hallway, Korra walking out from the corridor moments later.

She looked dishevelled, her hair knotted with bags underneath her eyes. The woman had thrown a tank top over her sports bra but remained in her boy shorts. Apparently she was not a morning person.

“Well look who decided to join the land of the living.” Bolin smarted, an obnoxious grin everpresent on his lips.

“Shut up, Bolin. You know the rules. Coffee first. Talking later.” Korra murmured and promptly snatched the cup that had been sitting in front of Bolin, downing the contents in the matter of a few gulps.

Blue eyes widened in surprise as she smacked her lips satisfyingly, staring into the now empty cup.

“Wow Pema, this is delicious. What’d you do different this time?”

“Actually, Asami made it. But I’m sure having clear water is making a difference as well.”

Blue eyes swiveled in Asami’s direction and at once the heiress was reminded of the events that played out the previous night. She suppressed her blush by taking a sip from her own coffee, no longer feeling as confident as she had lastnight. Not to mention their interactions had played through Asami’s mind repeatedly as she laid in bed, especially the parts of Korra submitting to her desires.

“Did she now? You’ll have to tell me your secrets.” The woman’s voice had perked up a bit and Asami was not sure if it was due to the coffee or if Korra was having similar thoughts to her own.

Green eyes finally moved to meet with blue and immediately the heiress’ mind short-circuited.

Korra was looking at her in a similar manner to lastnight, her normally icy blue eyes a shade darker than usual. The color could have been chalked up to the woman still being tired but a more reasonable part of her mind said it was because Korra was still worked up from the night before.

“Wait! I want to know secrets first! We never got to boy talk yesterday.” Ikki interjected, suddenly scooting her chair closer to Asami’s.

Asami stared confusingly at the young girl, wondering how that topic had even been brought up. When did she agree to boy talk? And what could she possibly have to talk about?

When Ikki noticed the older woman’s confusion she was quick to reiterate, a smile plastered to her lips.

“Opal said that you had a boyfriend and we could talk about him before you left.”

A cough across the table gathered the attention of the people present, all eyes falling on Opal as she attempted to clean up the bit of coffee she had nearly choked on. Asami could only scowl at the girl and her big mouth, though she did spare a glance at Korra to see how the woman was taking such a declaration.

The tanned woman was busy stuffing various vegetables into her mouth until her cheeks puffed out, clearly having no civility when it came to the matter of eating. Despite seeming distracted, though, blue eyes did glance up every few seconds, indicating the girl was listening to the conversation.

Inhaling deeply, Asami returned her attention to the overzealous girl, smiling apologetically at her for getting her hopes up.

“Sorry Ikki. I don’t have a boyfriend. Just a friend of mine who is back in the vault.”

“So you didn’t _like_  like him?”

“Well, I certainly liked him. We just never officially announced that we were dating. Nobody really knew. Except nosey people who had nothing better to do with their lives.” Another cough across the table.

“Why do you have to announce it? Can’t you just date without having to talk about it?”

“Well, no. That’s something that needs to be discussed. It’s not something that just happens.”

“Did you two do stuff that people dating do?” Asami’s eyes became as large as saucers, wondering just how far the girl was willing to indicate she knew about relationships. “Like holding hands and kissing?” Asami deflated, thankful she was not about to have to have _the talk_  with this little girl.

“I mean yes, we did do that.”

“Then you two were dating.” The girl announced, almost annoyed at the fact that she had to state something so obvious.

Asami quickly shut her mouth, realizing she wasn’t going to put forth the energy to argue with a prepubescent child.

“So is he going to come find you?” The thought forced Asami to turn to her food, beginning to idly play with some of the vegetables on her plate. She hadn’t given it much thought, but the answer was very obvious.

“No. We’ve already said our goodbyes. Now it’s time for both of us to move on.”

“Sooo…” The young girl drawled out, a cheeky grin present on her face. “You’re single now?”

The question caught Asami by surprise and she flashed the girl a questioning glance, wondering where she was going with this.

“I’ve always been single. So yes.”

The young girl leaned in, lowering her voice so she was not overheard by the other patrons.

“Well what about Mako? He’s cute right? I’d say Bolin but I think he likes your friend.”

Asami glanced over to where the tall boy was sitting, focusing more on his food rather than the conversation.

Sure, he was handsome, there was no doubt about that. And he seemed like a natural leader. His behavior reminded her so much of Iroh it was almost sickening. Well, except for the fact that he was a bit of an asshole and would shoot her without a moments hesitation.

“He kinda reminds me of the other guy. And by kind of I mean a lot. But I just don’t see myself liking him like that. He’s just not my type.” Asami was surprised she was revealing such information to a little girl who would likely blab about it later. But for some reason it was just nice to talk.

“What’s your type then?” The girl persisted, leaning her chin in her hands as she stared impatiently at the woman in front of her.

Asami thought on it carefully. She was half-tempted to describe Iroh, just because the simplicity of it would be much easier to explain. But instead Asami found herself thinking hard on the question, more to admit to herself than the girl in front of her.

Sure, she had liked Iroh. A future with him would have been secure and similar to the white-picket families she had seen through the videos. But for some reason Asami never found herself really giving into the idea. Not with him, atleast. She wanted something more than a simple life of raising kids.

“Hmm. My type? I guess I’d have to say my type would be somebody strong. Somebody I know I can rely on and feel safe with. Somebody with a sense of humor and can make me laugh. Someone who will be willing to listen to me and support my ideas, even if they sound crazy.” Asami’s voice began to take on a longing tone, her eyes lidding slightly as she listed off the various aspects she was looking for in a partner. “Somebody confident. And attractive. And helpful. And kind. And brave.” Asami sighed dreamily, her cheek pressed to her palm as she stared off into space.

There was a silence that followed the end of her rant, but when words broke that silence they about made Asami choke on her own saliva.

“Do you mean Korra? You basically described Korra.”

Asami was startled from her haze, sitting up straight and staring wide-eyed at the younger girl. Ikki began to wiggle her eyebrows, still grinning excitedly. The volume the girl had spoke when she responded was no longer a whisper and Asami quickly glanced to the side to see if Korra had overheard them. The cocky smirk present on tan lips told her she had. Korra mimicked Ikki, wiggling her own eyebrows as well and shooting the heiress a suggestive wink.

“Uh no. I’m not into women, Ikki.” Asami was quick to respond, making sure Korra could hear her when she spoke. Unfortunately that means the rest of the table heard as well.

A loud guffaw at the end of the table forced all attention to turn to Opal, the girl staring incredulously at her best friend.

“Not into girls? Since when?”

Out of the corner of her eye she could see Korra lean slightly on the table, very interested in the sudden topic change. Asami refused to acknowledge her.

“Opal, seriously? I’ve never dated a girl, why the hell would I suddenly be into them now?” Asami flinched slightly and shot Pema an apologetic glance at her swearing.

“’Sami, you’ve never dated _anybody_. That doesn’t mean you’re not interested in them. Besides, what about Ginger?”

When Asami took too long to respond Ikki once again decided to speak up, hoping to continue on the topic.

“Who’s Ginger?”

Asami quickly narrowed her eyes, piercing green eyes staring at her best friend.

“Opal, don’t.”

The woman ignored her friends threat, happily responding to the curious girl with very little care for Asami’s personal life.

“She was this really pretty red head back in the vault. When her and Iroh were taking a little break Ginger kissed Asami.” Opal began to chuckle as she recalled her friends reaction to the kiss. “Poor Asami was in a real tizzy. She talked more about that one kiss than anything she and Iroh had done. It was pretty adorable. And that’s when I figured out my best friend was a lot more into women than men.” Opal punctuated her declaration with another sip of her coffee, clearly not giving two-shits about exposing Asami to every person at the table.

Asami’s face had become a deep crimson color, lifting her hands to attempt and hide her embarrassment. There was nothing more uncomfortable than having her personal life put on blast. But apparently Opal had adapted to the wastelander life rather quickly and decided secrets were no longer a necessity.

“Just because we kissed doesn’t mean I’m into women. It’s not like I went after her.” Asami murmured between her hands, attempting to protect any form of dignity she had left at being called out on her lie.

She was well aware that she found women attractive but that had been her own personal secret, one she had never acted on and had never even told Opal about. Apparently her best friend was able to see through her charade.

“Oh please ‘Sami. We both know the only reason you didn’t pursue her is because she’s not able to keep her mouth shut about anything and you didn’t want your personal life out there.”

At the end of the statement Asami shot the girl a pointed glare.

“That’s right Opal. I don’t like having my personal life out there. Do you see what the problem is with your statement right now?”

Opal only shrugged, leaning back in her seat as she offered a sly smile to her friend.

“We’re not in the vault anymore, Asami. We’re out in the world. Nobody here even knows what we’re talking about. And we have the option of simply going away if people start running their mouths. We’re not limited anymore! We’re free!” The woman’s voice had grown excited, her eyes lighting up and practically twinkling.

Apparently Opal had taken to her new found freedom with open arms. Despite the situation Asami couldn’t help but be happy for her friend. Maybe one day it would help ease some of the guilt Asami felt for dragging her friend into her mess.

Asami eventually lowered her hands from her face, her green eyes skirting around the table to keep her from looking at the person across from her. After a few moments her curiosity got the best of her and she lifted her eyes wondering how Korra was taking the revelation.

As expected the woman wore a smug grin on her lips, staring half-lidded at Asami from across the table. Once she noticed that Asami was looking at her her mouth moved to form the word _‘gotcha’._  Green eyes immediately looked away, her face becoming unbearably hot again.

“Okay let’s move on to a more prudent topic. What’s on today’s agenda?” Asami attempted to deviate the topic from herself.

Mako spoke for the first time that morning, clearly more interested in topics that were important than gossip.

“We’re gonna pack up and get ready to head to Diamond City. I’ll explain the route when we get ready to leave. It’ll be about six hours until we get there so I want to leave early and make sure we get there before dark.”

The heads around the table nodded in unison. It was going to be a long day.

______ 

 

As they loaded the final bag onto the cart Asami could already feel exhaustion settling in. It wasn’t the physical labor that caused her exhaustion but more so the heat baring down on her body.

On top of the heat of the sun there was also the internal heat warring within Asami’s body. Ever since the revelation at breakfast Korra had been unbearably flirtatious with the heiress.

It was nothing overwhelming. As a matter of fact each touch had been subtle and tame and if Asami had known any better she would assume accidental. A simple brush of the shoulder or fingers touching one another when handing items off. If it wasn’t for the shit eating grin the girl flashed each time these “accidents” had happened Asami wouldn’t think anything of the physical contact.

Once all the items were packed and each person in the group had bid their farewells it was time for the crew to set off. Bolin took to the drivers seat this time with Mako sitting at one of his sides. Asami immediately moved to take the empty seat beside the brawny man but was promptly hip-checked by her friend, sending her stumbling to the side.

“Ah ah ah, I call the seat next to this hunk.” Opal whispered softly into Asami’s ear and the woman was sensible enough not to clam jam her best friend. That was until that best friend decided to yell out the next words.

“Why don’t you go sit with Korra in the back? You can talk about women together.”

Asami’s jaw hinged open as Opal abruptly made the announcement, her eyes growing wide. She was too shocked to even be embarrassed for herself.

Opal suddenly twisted around and shot Ikki two thumbs up who excitedly returned the gesture, both wearing matching grins. Before Asami had the opportunity to respond and berate the woman she was given a gentle nudge in her side.

She turned her head to look at the woman in question, her jaw still hung open. Korra lifted a hand and gently eased it beneath her chin, assisting the woman in closing her mouth.

“There we go. Wouldn’t want a bug flying into that pretty mouth of yours. Now let’s go.”

Korra nudged her head in the direction of the cart and easily lifted herself into the back, opting to climb over the side rather than use the gate in the back of it. The girl twisted around and offered her hand to Asami.

The vixen only stared at the hand for a moment. Despite how physical Korra had been getting the girl had actually laid off on the perverted comments for the morning. In fact, she was being more helpful than anything. Nothing she did seemed too extraordinary or overboard and the flip in personality was a bit off-putting.

Eventually a slender hand slipped into a tan one and with very little effort Asami lifted herself into the cart, falling down next to the bag of food they had packed for their journey. Moments later she felt a body land right beside her, Korra practically leaning into her as they got comfortable for their journey. With a snap of the reigns their cart surged forward.

“You know there’s plenty of space on the other side of the cart.” Asami murmured quietly, sparing a sheepish look at the woman beside her.

Ever since the conversation this morning Asami was finding it difficult to look at Korra. She felt bad for lying to her, but in her defense she hadn’t expected her friend to know about her secret.

“That’s a very good observation. Let’s make sure we put those amazing observation skills to the test later.” Korra rolled her eyes, turning her body so she was facing Asami instead.

“But If I was sitting over there I couldn’t show you this.”

Korra lifted her vest open to reveal two guns strapped to the insides. Asami immediately flinched when she noticed them, a reaction she wasn’t expecting to have. Would this be a permanent feeling around guns?

Korra’s lips turned downwards in a frown, her free hand reaching forward to try and grasp at Asami’s hand. Unfortunately the porcelain appendage moved away from her grasp before she had a chance to hold it, causing her frown to deepen.

“Asami…” Her voice lowered, hoping to not attract the attention of the other patrons. When Asami didn’t respond she continued. “I promised you I wasn’t going to hurt you again. I know you won’t just believe me over night, but let me prove it.”

A tan hand slid slowly to one of the weapons, blue eyes watching for any reaction form the woman beside her. When the only response was green eyes following her hand closely she slowed her movements even further.

“To be honest with you, I was going to keep this for myself. It’s a really nice gun. But I don’t want to take what’s rightfully yours.” At the end of the statement Korra gripped the bottom of the pistol and pulled it out slowly. With how fiercely Asami had been eyeing the device she was surprised she hadn’t noticed sooner that it was the gun she had left the vault with.

Korra held the weapon out for Asami to take and, after a few moments of contemplation, an alabaster hand reached out and grasped the weapon. Asami lifted her eyes to meet blue, a questioning look on her expression.

“Why are you giving this to me? It’s not much use if I’m the one using it.” Her voice was a bit shaky but she was slowly regaining herself, adjusting the weight of the weapon as she twisted her hand around.

“Not much use _yet_.” Reiterated Korra, a goofy grin present on her lips. She scooted closer to Asami, practically pressing her body up against Asami’s as she began to speak.

“I’m going to teach you how to shoot. You’re probably not comfortable with that but unfortunately it isn’t an option out here. It’s live or die. And I much prefer you living.”

“Hmm.” The heiress contemplated silently. In all honesty, she wasn’t completely appalled by the idea of learning how to shoot a weapon. The prospect of it was rather exciting. But finding a reason to shoot is what made her feel queasy.

With a deep breath the woman steeled her resolve. She was tired of feeling afraid. This was her chance to start over and make something of herself. It was time to accept that she now lived a life that was constantly in danger. No more freezing and locking up. And no more being afraid. Internally she was aware this was much easier said than done.

“Alright. Show me how it’s done, coach.” Asami lifted her eyes determinedly, a certain spark in her eyes that got Korra grinning from ear to ear.

“First things first. Time to learn the difference.” Korra lifted the other pistol and exposed it to the heiress. The first thing she noticed was the difference in appearance.

“What you have there is a 10mm pistol. It has much easier upkeep and doesn’t jam as frequently as these hunks of junk. It shoots 10mm ammo. They’re a lot better gun overall. Those are the kinds of weapons the vault makes and sells off. What I have here is a pipe pistol. Homemade. It’s not nearly as valuable as that gun you have but value doesn’t mean shit as long as it works. It takes .45 rounds. Not as strong as a 10mm round. It jams a lot if you don’t keep it clean and take care of it.”

Korra leaned forward and pressed into Asami more as she began to explain the different components to the weapon. How the safety worked, how to load bullets in the chamber and magazine. She forced Asami to practice loading and reloading her weapon until the movement became more of a muscle memory than going through the motions.

“Damn Salami, you’re catching on to this pretty quick.”

Green eyes narrowed sharply as she glared at Korra, not enjoying the use of her nickname.

“Don’t call me that. Only Opal is allowed to. And I barely let her.”

Blue eyes rolled slowly, barely managing to suppress her laughter at the woman’s sensitivity.

“Sure sure, whatever you say molerat.”

“You do realize I’m holding a weapon, right?”

“Speaking of holding the weapon. It’s time we get on to more practical uses. Turn around and face out of the cart.”

Asami did as instructed, scooting around on her butt until she was facing out the end of the cart. She had to suppress a yelp as she felt Korra press up against her back, her breasts pressing into her shoulder blades.

“Alright so first off, your grip is all wrong. You need to hold it with both hands firmly.”

Tan arms reached in front of Asami, practically wrapping around the heiress. Korra began to maneuver her hands until both of Asami’s hands were wrapped firmly around the grip of the weapon. The entire time Asami was grateful she was facing away from her, a red slowly creeping up her cheeks.

A soft whisper brushed against her ear, a small shiver running down her spine at the contact.

“Now turn the safety off and shoot. Make sure to hold on to your weapon tightly.”

Asami did as instructed, clicking the safety off but she remained hesitant on shooting.

“W-what do you want me to shoot?” Her voice wavered slightly, uncertain about shooting this weapon off.

“You see that sign we just passed? Aim and shoot. You’re going to see a little ball at the end of your weapon. It’s called the front sight. Aim until the front sight is level with your eyes, then pull the trigger. Don’t be scared, I’m right here.”

Asami scoffed quietly at her words but was silently grateful for the added support.

She did as instructed, closing one of her eyes and lining the front sight with the sign they had passed moments before. Her finger wavered over the trigger, remaining unsure whether she wanted to shoot. Despite her hesitance, her hands remained calm, no noticeable shake in them. Most likely due to how frequently she had used her hands over the years. After taking a deep breath she held it, flicking her finger backwards and pressing back on the trigger.

The sound that erupted from the gun was ear-shattering, the heiress’ ears ringing loudly and painfully. Her arms had jerked back slightly with the recoil but other than the piercing pain in her ear she was fine. She wasn’t even able to hear the sound of metal deflecting off of metal in all the commotion.

“Korra what the fuck!”

As her ears began to regain their sensibility she heard Mako yelling from the front seat, all of the people turned in their seats and staring wide-eyed at the two. At the lack of response Asami turned her attention to Korra and saw she was staring wide-eyed at the sign, her jaw hanging open and reflecting Asami’s appearance from earlier that morning.

“Will you give us a warning next time?” The man continued to yell, his face flushed red.

“Sharky, shut the hell up.” Korra muttered quietly, finally regaining her composure as she looked at Asami. “Can you do that again?”

Asami began to grin wickedly up at the woman. Now that the pain in her ears had subsided it was replaced with adrenaline. She had never expected the rush of shooting off a weapon to be so intoxicating. This was something she could get use to.

Without argument the woman lifted the weapon once more. They were a bit further distance away but the heiress took bullet drop into consideration as she slowly aimed down her sights. Despite the adrenaline coursing through her veins her hands remained steady once again and she got into position to pull the trigger once more. Once satisfied with her positioning she pulled the trigger once again, this time not as shocked by the sound or recoil of the weapon. She saw sparks fly from her target on the tip of one of its corners, indicating a successful hit.

A wide grin split across the heiress’ face, looking up at Korra to make sure she had seen the same thing.

Korra’s eyes practically bulged from her head, her jaw dropping even further, if that were even possible. She was silent for a long moment and Asami’s grin switched to a soft frown, a bit dissapointed in her teacher’s lack of excitement. That was until the girl spoke out.

“Holy fucking shit! She’s a fucking natural!” Korra yelled, looking at Mako who had a similar look of shock. In fact, all three of the people sat up front were speechless, eyes open wide as if trying to decipher if what they had seen was true.

Korra turned her head back to Asami and the vixen began to blush under her gaze. Korra’s blue eyes sparkled with pride, that lopsided grin that Asami was growing fond of clearly present on her lips.

Without warning Korra leaned down and scooped the heiress’ up into a tight hug, lifting her off of the cart slightly. Asami squeaked quietly, thrown off guard from the sudden hug. The heiress’ couldn’t help but notice she wasn’t entirely disgusted by the fact that Korra was holding her so intimately.

A wolf whistle could be heard from up front and Asami immediately blushed at the sound. She wish she knew which of the devils it was but unfortunately she was a bit preoccupied getting the life squeezed out of her.

“Come on guys, let’s give them a little alone time.” All three people up front laughed at the awful joke and Korra only stuck her tongue out in response.

“Yeah quit watching you perverts.” Korra chuckled at herself and set Asami back down. Unfortunately fate had different plans. Just as Asami felt her butt hit the wooden cart again a sudden rough bump in the road flung Korra into her body, both the women falling backwards onto the cart.

Before Asami knew what was happening she felt a weight shift on top of her. Turning her head slightly she saw Korra had lifted herself from on top of her and was now staring down at the heiress’. Korra was holding herself up with one arm, an opportunity to show off her strength while at the same time practically having her body on top of Asami’s.

A heat slowly crept up Asami’s face as the realization of their close proximity settled in. Blue eyes were peering down at her, an unknown emotion hidden within their depths. It was more than just excitement in those sapphires.

“You’re awesome, ‘Sams.” The younger woman murmured softly and Asami couldn’t help but offer a small smile to the praise and the nickname. It was much better than Salami.

Peridot eyes noticed immediately when Korra’s blue had flicked down to her lips. The sight had made her blush even deeper but when Korra had begun to lower her head it about put the poor vixen in a panic.

Before tanned lips had an opportunity to kiss her she swiftly moved her hand between their lips, palm facing towards Korra’s mouth. The feeling of warm lips pressing against her fingertips caused goosebumps to raise on her arms.

Korra’s eyes narrowed at the movement and for a moment Asami thought that perhaps the younger woman was upset with her. But the look only lasted momentarily before those blue eyes were once again filled with mischief.

Korra began to press her lips against Asami’s fingertips, adding pressure until her hand was slowly moving downwards. Asami didn’t bother putting up a fight, her eyes not once leaving Korra’s. It wasn’t until their lips were only inches apart that Korra finally closed her eyes.

With a bit more pressure Asami felt the back of her fingertips pressed against her own lips. Now the only barrier between them kissing was Asami’s hand. Asami’s eyes lidded a bit and for a very brief moment, she regretted putting her hand up from the very beginning. She made sure Korra’s eyes remained closed before she added more pressure to the back of her hand with her own lips, kissing it firmly.

It was as if Korra had read her movements. A tan hand slid up Asami’s arm and gripped the wrist of the hand she was kissing, her thumb brushing over the vein gently as Korra began to pepper light kisses on each individual finger, her lips never once breaking contact with the skin of her hand.

Asami couldn’t contain the shiver that ran up her spine, releasing a sudden rush of air from her mouth as the woman in front of her literally took her breath away with the gentleness of her touches.

After what seemed like forever Korra finally opened her eyes and retreated her head backwards. Her fingers immediately felt cold at the loss of contact but the woman shook herself out of her own haze and sat up as well, a blush painting her cheeks at the smile on Korra’s face.

“Come on, let’s keep practicing.”


	9. Super Mutants and Ghouls

It only took Asami a few hours to practically master the weapon in her hands. And by master that entails shooting at random targets and managing to knick them, but a hit was a hit. Luckily shooting a gun was more than just closing your eyes and praying.

Most satisfying of all were the words of praise adorned to her every time she managed to hit her target. There was something completely gratifying about enrapturing the tanned woman’s attention beside her.

Unfortunately all good things must come to and end. And that end came when they blew through a good portion of the ammo supply. The two women had gotten caught up in their own fun to be paying much attention.

“If you two are done wasting bullets, it’s time to hop off.” A clearly annoyed Mako spoke back to them, pulling them from their giddy mood with his normal sour attitude.

“You won’t be saying that when princess here is saving your ass from a super mutant.” Korra smarted back, peeking out the front of the cart to look at their destination.

Asami followed suit and looked forward. The sight that greeted her caused a wave of disappointment to wash over her.

Ahead of them was a medium sized building with a large red rocket over top of the roof. It looked rather quaint and homey with some people and several braham sitting out the front of the area.

“This is the big city?” Asami couldn’t hide the lack of excitement from her voice, a frown quickly slipping on her features. She had expected something so much more, something similar to the pictures and videos she had watched in the vault. Even before escaping she had longed to experience the feeling of being surrounded by tall buildings and people.

She could hear a snicker beside her before Bolin nudged Mako roughly in the ribs.

“No, this isn’t Diamond City. We’re going to drop off our brahman here for safe keeping. It’s too dangerous to bring them through the city. It’s crawling with a bunch of undesirables.” At the drop in the two vault dwellers faces he added hastily, “But nothing we can’t handle! Especially with you, hot shot.” He shot a grin at Asami and she couldn’t help but blush a bit under his praise. “We probably won’t even run into anything. Diamond City security is pretty good about keeping the place clean.”

The women only nodded in response. This group had yet to falter in their ability to coordinate and handle themselves so who were they to question their escorts?

As the group approached the shop an older man with greying hair stepped out from one of the doors. Upon seeing their arrival he threw his arms open in welcome, smiling over at them with yellow stained teeth.

“Well if it isn’t the Krew! Finally coming to say hi to me before I’m 6 feet under!” The man chuckled at his own joke, though Asami couldn’t keep from being horrified that the old man would laugh at his own death. By the looks of it he wasn’t far off.

“Big Al!” Bolin greeted excitedly, handing the reigns over to Opal before he leaped off the moving cart to run at the old man. Large arms wrapped around a fragile looking body, lifting the older gentleman off the ground in a bear hug.

“Bolin put him down or you’re gonna send him to the grave early.” Mako ordered. Asami shot him an incredulous look. What the hell was wrong with these people?

Bolin obeyed his brother, setting the man down gently. Despite being manhandled the senior looked unfazed, his smile growing wider as the cart came to a stop beside him.

“Well well. Do my eyes deceive me or have two angels fallen from heaven to grace us this evening?” His eyes flickered between Opal and Asami and both woman couldn’t contain their blush. People in the Commonwealth sure were forward with their compliments.

“Oh Big Al. Don’t let them fool you. Those are two devils here to tell you it’s your time.” Korra responded as she lifted herself over the side of the cart and landed on the ground. She maneuvered herself over to the man and wrapped her arm around his shoulders in a side hug.

Before the man had the chance to respond Mako had quickly cut into the conversation, once again ruining the light mood. “As much as we’d like to stay and talk Big Al, we’ve gotta get going. Trying to get to the Green Jewel before it gets too dark.”

The senior only nodded, holding his hands out in front of him as if he were begging for a scrap of food.

“You know your brahman are safe here with me. As long as you’re good for it.”

“Ofcourse I am. 50 a night, right?”

“Since you showed me such a lovely sight tonight, I’ll drop it down to 45. Don’t let anyone tell you Big Al doesn’t have a big heart as well.”

The statement caused Asami to smile softly. From what she had been exposed to thus far she was worried most people out here would be selfish, bloodthirsty savages. She was pleasantly surprised that her earlier premonitions were incorrect.

“Geez, Al. I’ve been here before and you were never that sweet to me.” Korra gave the man a gentle shove, careful not to overdo it in fear of his balance. Old eyes crinkled slightly as he squinted at Korra, eyeing her up and down slowly.

“Sweetheart, I mean this in the kindest way possible. But you’re more of a looker for… the ladies. Not really a man’s woman, ya know? If I didn’t know better I’d say you have bigger balls than most of these guys.”

Asami slid her hand over her mouth to stifle her laughter, watching as Korra’s expression shifted from offended to accepting in a matter of seconds. The tanned woman simply shrugged her shoulders, deciding the answer wasn’t actually that bad.

“Eh, it could be worse.”

Mako grunted quietly, unamused about the interaction happening between the group. He reached into his pocket and pulled out a clothed bag, a jingle ringing out from the material at the movement.

“50 in there right now. I’ll pay out the rest when we finish up. It shouldn’t be too long.”

The old man nodded and tossed the bag to one of the armed guards that was standing near the brahman.

“Good luck out there, kids. Be safe.”

As each person in the group bid their farewell they began their trek the rest of the way to the city. Asami was already feeling uncomfortably warm beneath the sun, perspiration running down the side of her face as she attempted to dab at the sweat inconspicuously.

“So how long are we going to be walking for, exactly?” The heiress asked aloud knowing one of them would be able to answer her question.

“What’s wrong? We haven’t even started yet. You’re never going to make it out here if you can’t handle this little bit.” Mako responded nonchalantly but for some reason that tone of his still irked her.

“As much as I love your observation of my stamina, a simple answer to my question will suffice. Thanks.” Her voice remained even as she responded and she gave herself an imaginary pat on the back. It seemed she still had a good grasp on her emotions unless Korra was the one involved. That would be an easy enough problem to avoid.

Mako once again grunted in response, making no attempt to answer her question.

“Okay well, if that question is too hard, can I ask why we’re walking? Where are the cars? Why don’t we just take one of those?” Asami recalled seeing the motor vehicles in several of her history videos and she silently desired to be behind the wheel of one of the automotives.

“Do we need to play the silent game?” Mako asked harshly, keeping his eyes forward as he spoke.

Asami scowled, attempting to hide the look by peering off to the side. What was his problem? She couldn’t recall him being such an ass yesterday.

Opal cleared her throat, her voice breaking through the tension. “Mako, are you going to need help?”

“With?” The man muttered in response, barely giving any recognition to the younger woman.

“Pulling that stick out of your ass. I think it’s lodged pretty deep but I bet I can get it.” The seriousness in Opal’s voice made the situation that much funnier, everyone in the group breaking out into loud laughter. Everyone except Mako.

“I wouldn’t let you within 100 feet of my ass. Even if there was an actual stick up it.”

“Oh I’m sure. I bet that spot’s reserved for some big, hairy man, right?” The laughter only grew louder, Bolin and Korra hunched over their knees as they laughed with no restraint. Asami was entirely red-faced, hiding the appearance behind her hand as she tried to suppress her giggles.

“You mean like how yours is reserved for Bolin.” The man finally turned his head towards Opal, his sharky brow lifting upwards questioningly. The look on his face said he knew the answer.

The entire groups jaws dropped at the statement, eyes wide in disbelief. Whether it was at the implied innuendo or the fact that Mako finally looked at them was unknown.

Finally all eyes turned towards Opal and Bolin who were making it a point to look anywhere but at the rest of the group. Asami spoke out, her voice accusingly playful.

“Opalll?” She purred, encouraging her friend to blush more. Bolin’s hand came up to slap behind his neck, rubbing at it awkwardly as he began to whistle a tune. He looked more suspicious than the woman.

When Asami received no response she turned her head to look at Korra who was equally as giddy as she was. When blue eyes met up with green they both shared a devious smile.

“Tell.” Korra started, and only moments later repeated herself. She balled her hands into fists, moving them up and down as she began to chant the word “tell” repeatedly. Asami joined in soon after, mimicking the other woman’s actions as she stared impatiently at her friend.

At their insistence Opal finally sighed dramatically, her eyes rolling in a way that said she was fed up with them.

“Okay fine. Last night after you all went to bed we stayed up a little longer and talked for awhile.”

“Hmph. There wasn’t a whole lot of talking from where I was standing.” Mako stated nonchalantly.

The glare Opal shot him could have killed anyone who was feint of heart.

“Anyways. We talked, then snuggled, then kissed a little bit. And that’s IT.” She looked at both the women in a way that told Asami her best friend was telling the truth. But that didn’t stop the heiress’ from teasing her further. With another look at Korra the vixen knew they were immediately on the same page.

Asami slung her arm over tan shoulders, lifting her free hand to place over her heart. Korra leaned over slightly, staring at the couple as if they were some sort of adorable, tiny animal.

“Awww!” The two women chorused together as if they had rehearsed this skit repeatedly.

Upon seeing the man and woman blush deeper they began to laugh out loud, hanging onto one another to keep themselves upright. For the first time in a few days Asami felt truly happy. Happy that she could experience her best friend finding someone she liked. Happy that she could laugh so freely in the presence of other people. And happy that she had a group of people she could share these feelings with.

After a minute the women had managed to compose themselves, though silly grins were still present. Asami pried herself from Korra and made her way over to Opal, wrapping her arms tightly around her friend to ease some of the girls embarrassment. Despite the younger woman’s protests she made no attempt to relieve herself from her friends grasp.

“Do you like him, Op?” Asami murmured softly into her ear making sure none of their companions could overhear them.

Instead of a verbal response she could feel her friends head shift gently in a nod. Asami continued to smile, pressing her lips softly into the woman’s bob cut in a supportive gesture.

Without warning Asami released the girl from her hold and gently pushed the shorter girl towards Bolin. She lifted her hand up, pointing to her own eyes before sending that gesture right back at the burly man. Bolin blinked rapidly before suddenly saluting, his normally goofy expression overly serious. Asami couldn’t help but feel like she had left her friend in very good hands.

As the couple turned and continued on their way Asami couldn’t help but stare longingly after them. Not in the manner that she was lonely, but would she be in the future? After everything was said and done, what would become of them? Would Opal decide to be with Bolin instead and leave her? No. She thought. She wouldn’t leave me. She just wouldn’t be with me all the time anymore. The thought left a sinking feeling in her stomach and she attempted to fight the sudden constriction in her throat. Asami wasn’t here to find love so the prospect of meeting somebody out here by the time their little adventure was over was very small. Perhaps when they got to this city she could look further into finding a place to settle after all is said and done.

She felt a warm arm slide around her waist, tugging her into its owner. She could only think of one person here who would openly advance on her like this and the thought caused her to roll her eyes.

“Penny for your thoughts?” Korra asked aloud, slowing her steps down so they could gain a bit more distant from the rest of the group.

“You don’t have to touch me to ask me how I’m feeling.”

“Now where’s the fun in that? Don’t act like you don’t like it, straight girl.” The comment caused her to groan, pinching the bridge of her nose in exasperation. She knew this would happen if Korra had found it. While the touch wasn’t completely unwanted like it had been yesterday the heiress didn’t have time to think about things like relationships right now. Or whatever Korra would do with her.

“I’m fine.” Her tone had grown even. She had never been one for sharing her thoughts unless it was with someone she had completely trusted. There had only been two people thus far that fir that role.

“You know, keeping things bottled up causes wrinkles to show up sooner.”

Asami scrunched he nose and Korra immediately pointed at her face.

“Just like that.”

“Korra I’m fine, really. Just a lot happening at once. I’ll be better when we get to this place.” At the end of her statement Asami stepped to her side to put a bit of distance between them. The heiress couldn’t help but feel a bit guilty. Korra had been concerned enough to worry about her yet Asami only pushed her away, something she was well known for doing. But how could she expect a girl like Korra to understand that she was lonely and afraid? From what she gathered from the tanned girl is she never had to worry about being lonely, she can easily have a different woman warming her bed each night. So what would she know of this fear? On top of that Asami’s fears and worries would likely be turned on her in some sort of sexual humor. Korra didn’t seem very capable of taking things seriously. Even if the humor was normally welcome she wasn’t in the mood for it. And the last thing she wanted was to snap on the woman who was acting like she cared, whether it was real or not.

She could see Korra shift beside her, shoving her hands into her pockets as she began to walk on ahead. The woman’s shoulders were slumped forwards slightly and a brief glance showed that there was a frown gracing the shorter woman’s lips.

Asami silently chided herself for making the girl worry and then shutting her down. But after years of closing people off it wasn’t going to be easy to suddenly jump ship and be the open, social butterfly that Korra seemed to want her to be.

And just like that the giddy mood that the group was experiencing moments before had switched to solemn and quiet.

______ 

 

Asami could see why they had to leave their brahman out of the city. What started out as awe at all the large , desolate buildings quickly turned into paranoia at the things that could be hiding within the rubble of those buildings. Her ever active mind told her of all the dangers these buildings posed; their structural integrity was severely lacking. Who knew when these buildings would finally give in. Hopefully that wouldn’t be anytime soon.

The group had fallen into a long silence and that was nearly as bad as them talking too much. She decided to put it on herself to end this quiet. It was driving her insane.

“So besides the buildings that are just waiting to topple over on us, what else should we be looking out for?” They waited for Mako to give some sort of smartass remark but was pleasantly surprised when she received an actual response.

“There aren’t many molerats out here. But you need to watch out for mongrels dogs. And super mutants.”

“And ghouls.” Bolin added afterwards.

“Wait, super mutants are an actual thing? That sounds like something out of one of Opal’s comicbooks.”

“Oh they’re real alright. Big, mean, ugly and just waiting for a chance to chomp on that pretty face of yours.” Korra remarked grotesquely, causing goosebumps to rise on the heiress’ arms.

“They… eat people?” Opal hesitantly asked, not knowing if she actually wanted that question answered.

The entire group grew silent and that was the only response the two vault dwellers needed. Asami quickly tried to change the subject, no longer interested in hearing anymore horrifying stories about these awful creatures.

“Okay, well what are ghouls then?”

“Ghouls were once humans. They’ve been exposed to radiation so long their brains rotted away and they’ve gone mad. Now they attack just about anything and eat it.”

This response was just about as bad as the super mutant one. Was there anything out here that wasn’t trying to eat and kill them?

“They’re human? So is there any way to know if someone is a ghoul or not? Besides the fact they’re trying to eat your face off.”

“Oh you’ll know. Their skin is basically melted. And you can hear their gurgling and growling before you see them. They’re pretty disgusting.”

Instead of goosebumps Asami full out shivered trying to picture such an abominable creature. Asami began to silently count her blessings that she had yet to see one of these things and hopefully wouldn’t run into one on the way to the city.

Korra easily sensed the woman’s distress and offered gentle words of support.

“Don’t worry about it too much. Naga here is like a danger-sensing machine. She’ll let us know if there’s anything we need to worry about.”

Asami offered a sweet smile over to the woman. Maybe Korra did genuinely worry about her. She would have to apologize to the woman for her cold shoulder earlier.

Asami gently waved her hand, encouraging Korra to move closer to her. The tanned woman obliged obediently, making her way over to the heiress. To Asami’s surprise there was no physical contact initiated when they got close enough. That simple fact told her that Korra was still upset from earlier.

“Korra, I just want to apologize.”

The woman didn’t look at her and Asami felt like her heart dropped into her stomach. Perhaps the emotional reaction was a bit overboard for something so minor.

“What do you have to apologize for? You didn’t do anything wrong.”

Bless Korra and her heart. They both knew the statement wasn’t true but Korra showed no hostility towards the woman and she was silently grateful for that.

“As a matter of fact I have a lot of things to be sorry for.” Asami corrected her. When Korra finally met her gaze with a questioning raise of her eyebrow she continued.

“I’m sorry for earlier. And I’m going to apologize ahead of time for how terrible this apology is going to be. I don’t really open up to people. Maybe Opal every now and then. But I prefer to keep my business to myself.”

“Keeping your private life private, right? You said something about that this morning.”

Asami only nodded, looking ahead of her now as she continued.

“Right. Which kinda entails keeping things to myself. Even my emotions. So I wasn’t rejecting your offer earlier because you’re you. It’s just kinda how I function. Consider it a defense of mine.”

“Well you seem to be opening up plenty fine right now.”

“That’s because you deserved an explanation. You were kind enough to care earlier so it’s the least I can do.”

“You seem like someone worth caring for, Asami.”

The sentiment in the woman’s voice caused her stomach to flutter softly. For being a sexual deviant Korra was definitely capable of making Asami feel like she was somebody important. Fortunately or unfortunately Asami wouldn’t fall into such smooth words so easily. She wasn’t like Opal. She wouldn’t fall into someones arms after a day, whether she wanted to or not.

“I’m sure you say that to all the girls you’re trying to sleep with.” Asami gently nudged the shorter girl playfully in the side, earning a small chuckle from the woman. In reality Asami would much rather them continue their little game of back and forth than have things awkward between them.

“Just the pretty ones with bad attitudes and badder mouths.” She replied snarkily, that signature smirk returning to her lips. Asami was almost relieved enough to ignore the jibe. Almost.

“God you are such a charmer. I can’t believe I haven’t let you in my pants yet.” Asami rolled her eyes but couldn’t help her own smile. Maybe if Opal moved on her and Korra could be good friends. They certainly seemed to have the chemistry for it.

“Oh we can always change that, sweetheart.” Korra pointed in the direction of a pile of rubble, her smirk growing wider. “That pile of dirt over there is just calling our names. Just try not to think about all the bugs crawling on you.”

“And here I thought I was classy enough for a normal bed.”

“Are you sure a bed is good enough for you? Don’t want me to shower it in gold flakes and pick up some silken blankets?”

Asami only scoffed, gently shoving the younger woman.

“I’ll make you a deal. You grow a couple of inches so I don’t have to look down at you while we talk and I’ll let you carry me off to the bed of your choice. No gold flakes necessary.”

“I’m going to ignore the first part of the statement and just focus on that last part. Fucking tease.”

“Hey, don’t you get short with me, Korra!”

Asami could tell that joke had been the last one her companion would tolerate because suddenly Korra lunged forward, attempting to grab the vixen. Asami narrowly avoided being caught and instead took off in a run towards the front of the group, ignoring the safety hazards that were at risk with her running aimlessly around. She could hear Korra chasing after her, an order coming from her mouth.

“Naga! Get her, girl!”

Within a few seconds Naga was running beside Asami, yipping happily at the woman as she played in their little game of cat and mouse.

“Naga you traitor!” She could hear Korra shout behind her. Asami could only laugh loudly, urging her legs to continue running. She felt ten times safer knowing Naga was right next to her. But that feeling of safety didn’t come close to the feeling of joy she was currently experiencing. Just ten minutes prior she was busy brooding and feeling sorry for herself. But one simple conversation with Korra snapped her out of her own misery. Maybe she’d give Korra more chances in the future.

Asami hadn’t realized how far she had ran until she began to hear a familiar whirring of machinery. She slowed her steps until she was walking, huffing loudly as she attempted to catch her breath. Green eyes scanned the surrounding area until she finally saw the cause of the noise.

Not far from her was a machine the seemed to have some sort of turret on the end of it. It was moving in a constant half circle. Asami desperately wanted to get a closer look but she worried for her own safety. Her saving grace came when she was suddenly lifted off her feet form behind. Korra had caught up to the vixen and somehow managed to have enough stamina after their little chase to lift her up. Asami couldn’t help her giggle as she began to kick at the air with Naga circling around them wildly.

“Korra put me down! There’s something over there!”

Korra paid little mind to the woman’s request. Apparently if Naga didn’t find it dangerous it wasn’t worth worrying about. Finally after a few moments of swinging Asami around Korra set her down on the ground, her breathing not nearly as heavy as Asami’s had been.

“And what’s over there? Or are you just trying to get yourself out of this ass beating you were about to get?”

“You need to be able to reach me first.” She smarted back before pointing in the direction of the machine. “What is that?”

Korra scowled but allowed her eyes to follow in the direction.

“That’s a machine gun turret. It’s a defense a lot of bigger settlements use. It’ll shoot at whatever monsters are within it’s range parameters.”

“Huh. How does it know what to shoot?”

“I think it has something to do with heat signature. I’m not really sure. But that means we’re getting close.”

In the distance Asami could see the rest of their group closing the distance, all of them remaining at a walking pace. Apparently they weren’t interested in participating in their little game of chase.

“Come on, Diamond City should be right around the corner.”

Asami only nodded and began to follow in the direction Korra was walking. Her eyes never left the turret. She desperately wanted to take the machine apart and maybe make one of her own. The concept of an automated gun turret that didn’t need to be manned was absolutely mind-blowing.

The trio filed into an alleyway, an apparent “shortcut” to the front gates, as Korra had called it. Asami had initially assumed it was a ploy to get them in a tight space together, but as they emerged from the narrow passageway she could hear the distant shouting of an angry woman.

“What do you mean you can’t open the gate? Stop playing around, Danny! I’m standing out in the open here, for crying out loud!” Asami pinpointed the shouting to a woman that was clad in a red dustercoat with brown boots, medium length black hair and a paperboy hat. She was yelling into what looked like a speakerphone, her arms flailing around animatedly as she spoke.

“Oh Piper. I see you’re at it again.” She heard Korra mutter beside her as they approached the woman. In front of them was a large, metal gate that seemed to be controlled by mechanisms that could lift the heavy steel from the ground to offer access to what lays within.

“I got orders to not let you in, Ms. Piper. I’m sorry. I’m just doing my job.” The voice over the speaker responded.

“Just doing your job? Protecting Diamond City means keeping me out, is that it? ‘Ohh look, it’s the scary reporter!’ Boo!”

Asami couldn’t help but chuckle at the woman’s antics. Something told her if given the chance, they’d get along very well.

“I’m sorry, but Mayor McDonough’s really steamed, Piper. Sayin’ that article you wrote was all lies. The whole city’s in a tizzy.”

“Agh!” The woman shouted angrily. “You open this gate right now, Danny Sullivan! I live here. You can’t just lock me out!”

Piper turned away from the speaker just in time to notice Korra and Asami were only a few feet from her. Her eyes widened in pleasant surprise at the unannounced guests.

“Korra! Thank god you’re here. These idiots aren’t letting me back in. Maybe you could talk some sense into them?”

“You know I’ve always been more for knocking sense into people, Pipe. And I can honestly admit I can’t punch my way through a metal gate.”

Piper sighed loudly, though it wasn’t in defeat. It was obvious this woman was driven by a determination and didn’t give up so easily. Her eyes flicked over to Asami, apparently gathering a substantial amount of information with one simple glance.

“You. You’re a vault dweller.”

Asami’s jaw dropped slightly, curious as to how this woman could figure something so secretive out within the span of a few seconds.

“H-how?”

“Oh please. The fish out of water look. Perfect skin. Dead giveaways.” The woman’s eyes widened as she snapped her fingers, mischief sparkling in her brown eyes.

“Play along.” The woman whispered softly before clearing her throat, addressing the speaker once again.

“What’s that, Korra? You brought a vault dweller to fix the lift to the mayor’s office? Well, I don’t think you could ask for a better engineer throughout the Commonwealth. I would hate to see the mayor’s panties get bunched up if he misses out on this opportunity.” The devilish smile on the woman’s lips was amusing. As if it were a practiced and familiar look.

“Alright alright. I’ll open the gate. Sheesh.” Within a few moments a loud whirring could be heard as the metal gate was lifted off of the ground.

“Thanks for waiting for us.” An annoyed voice sounded behind them and neither woman had to turn around to know it was Mako.

“Just having the gate opened for you, my lady.” Korra shot back before stepping forward,, turning around to throw her arms out.

“Asami, Opal. Welcome to Diamond City, the Green Jewel of the Commonwealth.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I said the slow burn is slow......


	10. Welcome to Diamond City

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Holy shite. +10k words? The hell is happening. The writer in me wants to say it's because I couldn't find a good chapter break. But the truth is it's because I can't post for another 4-5 days... oops. Don't hate me.

“Well if it isn’t the Krew. Always a welcome sight! And I see we have two extra faces in the group. Welcome to Diamond City.”

The group had barely managed to enter through the gate before they were greeted by an older gentleman dressed in clothes that made him look like he was a door to door salesman. There was something off about him right from the start. Perhaps it was the fake genuity to his voice or how he presented himself.

“Well Mayor, didn’t they get a warm welcome. Want to explain why you thought it was necessary to kick the Press out of Diamond City?” The woman stepped up beside the group, her arms folded as she waited for an excuse from the man.

“Piper? I told them to keep you out of here, you slanderer!” Apparently the man had been so distracted by the prospect of new faces he hadn’t noticed the obvious one in the group.

“It’s not slandering, it’s the news. And you have no right kicking me out of my home because you don’t agree with it.” The woman managed a calm to her voice, daring the man to say more in front of their guests. “Why don’t we just ask our friends here? What do you two think? The Mayor here is threatening to get rid of Free Speech in this city.”

“I’ve always believed in Freedom of the Press. The people have a right to say what they believe.” Asami wholeheartedly believed in her response. Ofcourse her vault life may had made it seem like the people were forced to listen to their Overseer, which isn’t entirely untrue, but they were more than welcome to voice their complaints and ideas.

“Ahem. I’m sorry that she is trying to involve you two in this little disagreement. Please don’t allow this little fiasco to sway your opinion of our beautiful city.” The man quickly turned to Piper afterwards, his voice once again taking a harsh tone to it. “And you. Consider yourself and that little sister of yours on notice.” With the declaration of the statement the man turned heel and made his way away from the group.

When the mans back was turned Piper flung her middle finger in the air, grimacing towards the man distastefully.

“Diamond City’s finest. Anyway. Thanks for backing me up there, Blue. Maybe a little outside perspective is exactly what this city needs.”

“Blue?” The heiress questioned with a raised eyebrow.

“Blue. Ya know, because of your blue jumpsuit. I know you’re not wearing it right now but it seems to fit.”

Asami thought on the nickname for a moment before rolling her shoulders in a shrug. “Better than princess and molerat.”

The remark was lost on Piper though she only continued, pretending as if she hadn’t heard her.

“Listen, why don’t you stop by my place when you’re done with your business in the city? I think a person with your background could really open some eyes around here. I’d like to do an interview.”

“That’s not a good idea.” Mako interjected, causing Asami to eye him warily.

“And why not? I believe she asked me, not you.”

“Because we don’t need more people knowing what we’re up to.” He replied simply.

“Mako, what if this paper gets to my dad? What if he finds out we’re looking for him? That would make this search so much easier!”

“It’s the Diamond City newspaper. If he’s in Diamond City we’ll be able to find him. It’s not that big.”

“Actually, my paper gets delivered to almost all the settlements in the Commonwealth. Caravans and wanderers take them around for me.” Piper added in, placing her hands on her hips triumphantly.

“Listen, I’m not going to argue with you. Do what I say or we’re out. You can find him on your own.” Mako narrowed his eyes, sounding definitive in his words.

Asami could see Korra and Bolin shift uncomfortably through her peripherals but she remained strong, folding her arms over her chest defiantly.

“Then leave. You tagging along was your idea, Mako. Not mine. You want to find him so you can get something out of it. That doesn’t affect me at all. Besides, I’m sure I could find some people here who would be more than happy to help out. Knowing the reward in the end.”

The scowl forming on Mako’s lips had the heiress grinning smugly, daring him to fight her. Sure, she wasn’t one for a physical confrontation. But verbal? That was her area of expertise.

“Come on, bro. It can’t be that big of a deal. Just let her do it.” Bolin muttered beside him a bit fearfully, worried that his brothers rage would be lashed at him instead.

Mako looked ready to argue before he sighed loudly, his shoulders slumping dejectedly.

“Fine. Whatever.” At the end of his statement he shoved his hands into his pockets and began to trek towards the entrance to the city.

The group followed after the brooding man, Opal slipping up beside Asami to whisper softly. “He didn’t act like this much of an asshole in the beginning, did he?” Asami only shook her head in response. “Then why is he doing it now? He’s been weird ever since they got back the other day.”

Asami’s eyes flickered upwards as she stared at the man in questions back. It was true that he had been a bit more of a pain in the ass than when they initially met. But what was his reason in the sudden change? It caused her to eye him suspiciously.

Before she could spare too much thought they were climbing stairs into the entrance of the city. The sight before her caused Asami to gaze in wonder at the city around her. It was nothing like what she had expected to see. This city was the polar opposite of the cities she had seen in the photos but still managed to strike the woman with awe.

In front of her lay a structural wonder made up of any kind of material that could be found. An engineer such as herself felt like she was in her own personal playground. She couldn’t help but admire the fact that no matter how sketchy the buildings looked they still managed to not only stay up, but house people inside of them.

“Pretty amazing, right?” Piper marveled. “Despite how corrupt the city is, it’s still the safest, biggest settlement throughout the Commonwealth. Goodneighbor is a close second. So if you don’t find your dad here I’d recommend going there next.” She turned to face the group after stopping in front of one of the first buildings they passed. “Well, I expect to see you later after you’ve settled in. You can find me here. Good luck, you guys.” At that the woman turned around and left them.

“I say we stop by HomePlate and rest up real quick. I’m tired.” Bolin groaned out his complaints and the two vault dwellers nodded their agreements.

“Alright. Let’s rest up for a little while then we’ll stop by Nick’s and-”

“Korra!” A woman’s shrill voice interrupted Mako’s game plan and all heads turned in the direction with which it came. A woman with beach blonde hair and light brown eyes waltzed towards the group with certain irking confidence in her step, her smile present to the group but her eyes locked on one individual in particular.

“Olivia! And what do I owe the pleasure- mmf” Korra was cut off by a pair of lips pressing against her own. Within a moment she was able to speak again, that cocky smirk of hers present. “Damn. I missed you too.”

“Oh I know you did.” The woman responded before pressing their lips together once more, though this time it was anything but chaste compared to the first one. It only took a few seconds for the kiss to become open-mouthed and for tongues to be exploring eachothers mouths like long lost lovers.

Asami forced herself to look away, a faint blush present on her face. The lewd public display of affection was causing her to feel uncomfortable. That among other things.

“If you two are done.” Grumbled Mako, resuming his same pouting position from minutes ago. Asami decided she would give him a free pass the next time he pisses her off.

The two women giggled against one anothers lips before finally separating. Korra’s arm wrapped around the girls waist as they turned towards the group, pressing the woman flush against her muscular side. The woman’s hands wrapped possessively around a tan neck as she eyed the group, particularly Asami, though the heiress paid no mind as she stared anywhere except the couple.

“Ladies, this is Olivia. Liv, this is Asami and Opal. We found them straggling around the wasteland and picked them up.”

“Like two adorable puppies. You’re just so sweet, K.”

At this both the vault-dwellers scowled, peering at one another through the corner of their eyes. Puppies? They both made a silent agreement they didn’t like this woman one bit.

“Anyways.” The woman murmured before pulling Korra’s head closer to her lips, whispering just loud enough for the rest of them to hear. “Why don’t you come to my place and shower up? I’m sure you’d love to.. relax.” The woman purred the final word and Korra’s smirk only grew wider.

“Well, you heard the lady. I’ll catch you all in a few hours.”

“Just stay out of trouble.” Mako ordered before turning to go to the place Asami assumed was where they would be staying. Asami didn’t dare glance back at the women, her anger finally beginning to flare after her shock had worn off. Korra had a girlfriend and openly flirted with Asami like it was no big deal. And unfortunately the heiress was just beginning to fall for the charade. __Fool me once, Korra__. The heiress thought darkly, silently chiding herself for getting too comfortable with the woman. She should have known better.

 

 

While the rest of the group took to taking naps and resting up, Asami found herself immersed in the history of Diamond City and the how the structures came to be. Thankfully the city was not too secretive with how it came about.

Asami was familiar with Fenway Park, the baseball stadium located in prewar Boston. Never would she have guessed that such a place would be turned into this architectural marvel. That explained why the defenses to this city were so sound. There was literally one entrance to the city unless they managed to fly over the top. Which, by the lack of vehicles that were around, didn’t seem like a possibility.

“Mm.. what’re you still doing awake?” A sleepy voice murmured to her and Asami immediately recognized it as Opal’s. The vixen looked up from her book to see her friend shuffling towards her, her feet barely lifting off the ground as she moved.

Asami couldn’t help but smile. One of her favorite moments to be with Opal was when she had first woken up. She was adorable… kind of like a puppy. Guess the ditzy blonde was sort of accurate in her judgment.

“I’m just reading up on this place. It’s actually really interesting how this place came to be. Do you wanna hear?”

“Will you care if I’m asleep while you tell me?” The younger woman murmured as she slid to lay on the couch Asami was sitting, her head coming to rest on the heiress’ lap. Asami rolled her eyes. She should have known Opal would be more interested in sleeping. Regardless, slim, pale fingers began to brush affectionately through her friends hair.

“Mm. If I didn’t have Bolin, those hands would make me fall for you Salami.” The sleepy woman muttered, causing the vixen to chuckle softly.

“You mean you haven’t already fallen for me?”

“Let me reword it then. Make me fall for the Salami all over again.” The answer caused Asami to grin, gingerly playing with the bobcut between her fingers.

“That’s more like it.”

After a few minutes of silence she felt Opal shift in her lap and she was suddenly staring down at gentle green eyes that were peering back at her.

“’Sami, do you want to talk about it?”

At this Asami lifted her slim eyebrow in question. Where did that come from?

“Talk about what, exactly?”

“I don’t know. Anything?” A tan hand slid over to her free one and grasped it softly, bringing the appendage to her chest so she could snuggle it. Their gazes never broke.

Asami stiffened slightly. At first the question baffled her, but now that Opal had reiterated it seemed as if there was a flood of words that wanted to rush from the heiress’ mouth. About anything and everything. But the sudden rush forced her to remain silent, unsure of where she wanted to start.

Opal began to brush her thumb soothingly over Asami’s palm, encouraging her friend patiently.

Before she had the opportunity to respond a creak from the stairs alerted her to more guests waking from their naps. This immediately closed Asami off from any responses she had, which in itself might have been a blessing. She didn’t want to burden her friend with all of her worries, even if the girl was genuinely interested.

Bolin emerged from the stairs, his limbs stretching upwards as he groaned in satisfaction. His hair was disheveled as he stared at the women with barely open eyes. He looked utterly adorable and for a brief moment she could understand why Opal had grown to like him so quickly.

“Mornin’ ladies.” He managed to utter between a yawn. The lethargic state her party was in made Asami regret not taking the opportunity to sleep. She knew she could use it, especially to help settle her restless mind.

“It’s the afternoon, Bolin.” The heiress stated with a small smile. She had found herself liking this male out of the group more than either of the other two. There was a certain honesty to the boys face. And she could never forget how he stood up for her back at Air Temple. He put himself in harms way to ensure her safety and believed her through and through despite being accused of being something she wasn’t.

“Minor details.” The man shuffled his way over to the women and stood before them, looking sheepishly down at them. It was obvious by his body movement he wanted something, but he seemed too hesitant to speak.

“What’s up, Bolin? You know you can talk to me I’m not going to bite.” She chuckled softly, lifting her eyebrow as the man continued to falter on his words.

“Well… I want to give Opal a good morning kiss on the head. But I don’t want to make you uncomfortable or feel left out but I don’t think I should kiss you I can give you a hug?” He began to ramble and Asami had to lift her free hand to silence him. His concern for her forced a smile on her face. He really was a good kid.

“You can kiss her, Bo. That kind of thing doesn’t make me uncomfortable.”

“Well, when Korra and that girl were kissing you looked pretty disgusted.”

Asami’s other eyebrow lifted, expressing her surprise. Had she really expressed such discontent towards their kiss? And so openly? She’d have to work on that.

“Well, I WOULD prefer if you didn’t make out on my lap. But who I am to stop you?” She chuckled at the end of her statement as she watched both people begin to blush furiously. Teasing this adorable couple was going to be a lot of fun.

“W-well I promise I won’t make out with her.” He murmured as he glanced away, his shuffling continue once again as he decided whether he should man up or chicken out. Asami only rolled her eyes.

“I’m kidding Bo. Please kiss her so she stops giving me the stink eye. I would like to live through the night.”

This seemed to calm the giant teddy bear down a bit as he chuckled, leaning over and pressing a chaste kiss to the woman’s forehead. That was what he was worried about? A kiss to the forehead? Good god this boy was adorable.

“Glad to see you’re all awake.” Mako came down from the stairs eyeing the group curiously as he took in their state. If Asami hadn’t known better she would assume the man hadn’t even fallen asleep. He looked wide awake and ready to take on the day. “I think it’s about time we went and saw my friend. The faster we get his help the faster we find your dad. Where’s Korra?”

Bolin looked around the room as if he had missed her presence entirely. The loft wasn’t big so that was damn near impossible.

“Guess she isn’t here yet, ‘Cap.”

At this Mako groaned, pinching the bridge of his nose annoyedly. “Ofcourse she isn’t. Whatever we don’t particularly need her right now. Let’s just get going, we can find her later.”

The group nodded in unison and followed Mako out of the building. Asami couldn’t help but notice how Opal and Bolin immediately latched hands with one another. The sight caused the heiress to smile. Opal had always been rather closed off from physicality in the vault. It seems this boy managed to bring out the best in her.

As soon as the door was opened they were all greeted by a busy city center. People bustling around, eating, shopping, conversing. Exactly what a city should have looked like with fewer demolitions and dirt.

Mako led the group through the busy market and Asami desperately wanted to look around and sightsee. Unfortunately the “leader” of their group had different plans. He hadn’t allowed any time for either vault-dweller to observe before he was twisting down another alleyway. There wasn’t a lot of people in this area, a simple mechanic here and there to weld metal pieces that were threatening to dislodge from their structures. Them and a lone sign that read “Valentines Detective Agency” lit up in a neon pink with a small heart.

The sight caused Asami to chuckle. What kind of detective would present themselves so girlishly? Well apparently that was the kind of deteictive Mako preferred because he immediately turned into the doorway the sign was pointing at.

The group shuffled into the enclosed space and were met immediately by a desk with a woman filing paperwork behind it. Asami immediately regretted her thoughts from earlier. Who was she to assume the detective was a male? And who says Nick has to be a mans name? Damn her and her sexist thoughts.

“Hey, Ellie. Is Nick here? I got a big case for him.” __Whelp, there goes that idea. Guess I’ll just keep being sexist__. Asami thought to herself.

“Mako!” The woman exclaimed happily and Asami felt herself stunned that anybody could be so happy to see a buzzkill like Mako. “Have you two been well? And who are these beautiful young ladies?” The woman offered a sincere smile in their direction and Asami felt the tension in her shoulders melt. The heiress’ had always been good at reading people and she could tell this woman was a kind person.

“Hello, it’s nice to meet you. I’m Opal.”

“I’m Asami. I’m actually the reason we’re here right now.”

“Oh? Well, I’m sorry kids. Nick won’t be back in for a few days. But if you’d like to stick around town I’d be more than happy to let him know you dropped by. Would you like me to leave him a message?”

“No, that won’t be necessary. Not right now. We’re definitely keeping it underwraps as much as we can right now. But if he doesn’t make it back in a few days I’ll have you leave something for him.” Mako rubbed the back of his neck, clearly stressed that nothing seems to be going his way so far today.

“Alright. Well you guys be safe. I’ll be here if you need me.”

“Thanks Ellie.” The group said in unison before exiting the cramped space. They all stood outside the doorway, looking at Mako for some sort of direction as to what their next move would be. It wasn’t like they were all looking forward to listening to him, but with this guy it seemed like it was his way or get the fuck out.

“I guess we’ll just have to stick it out. Nick is the best detective around. Waiting for a few days won’t hurt too much.” The group nodded. They were all ecstatic about the prospect of getting to relax for a few days after the hell they had gone through in the last day.

“Until then…” Bolin drawled, waggling his eyebrows at his brother.

Another groan from Mako. “Until then, let’s go get something to eat. Yes, I know Bolin. You’re starving. You don’t even have to say it.”

“Well I’m going to say it anyways. I’m STARVING!” He whined loudly.

Mako only shook his head, slugging the younger man in the shoulder gently as he began to walk off.

“Alright you two. Time to get a little taste of wastelander life. And by a little taste I mean you might find bugs in your food.” Mako smirked as both women grimaced, their faces twisted in disgust.

“Aw don’t listen to him. You rarely find bugs. Just every now and then.”

Both men laughed as they poked fun at them. Each took turns describing a food with a disgusting name and even more grotesque mixture of ingredients. They marveled at how both women’s faces began to pale with each new food they described. Unfortunately the women had a choice; eat or starve. Starving almost seemed like the better option.

“And here we are!” Bolin exclaimed and both women looked at the sign that was partially lit above the door. It read ‘Narook’s’.

A loud shouting was heard from within along with some banging. The two vault-dwellers glanced at one another, unsure whether they really wanted to risk their lives eating at some place where the screams could be heard outside of the building. Unfortunately they weren’t given the option as they were both ushered inside. A cloud of smoke greeted the women and they began to cough at the awful smell.

Asami opted to hold her breath as they moved pass the cloud and was surprised at the view she found inside. There were many people located in various parts around the area. A group of them were huddled around pool tables that were located in the back of the room while the other patrons were sat at tables or the bar. The smell of musk, sweat and awful body odor began to flood her nasal passages and she barely managed to suppress her gag at the disgusting smell.

As the group became visible among the smoke cloud all eyes turned on them, mostly on Opal and Asami. The heiress recalled how Piper had been able to easily distinguish them as vault-dwellers because of how awestruck they seemed at the beginning. Asami forced her expression to seem lethargic and not interested in the people before them, even as each pair of eyes seemed to be eyeing them hungrily, as if they were a snack to take a bite out of.

As they were escorted to their table Asami felt a hand reach out and grab her wrist, halting her from moving any further. The grip was tight, almost painfully so. She looked at the chubby, short man holding her and he smiled a sickening smile up at her. He was missing several teeth and what teeth did remain were rotted and yellow. He had a beard that held more food in it than he has probably ever eaten. The entire sight was revolting.

“Can I help you with something?” Asami asked with a raised eyebrow. Her question seemed to make the entire table in front of her laugh and she cursed herself for being so polite. She should have known better.

“You sure can sweety.” The man’s voice was slurred, indicating how much he had drank prior to her coming. “I wanna know if that pretty mouth is as good at something else as it is speaking.” The man punctuated his words by spreading his legs open, beginning to force Asami’s hand lower towards his groan. She panicked briefly, unsure what to do with such hostile advancements on her. She opted to cut the bullshit polite routine and get straight to business with this lowlife.

“I suggest you let go of me before I kick you so hard in your tiny dick your grandchildren will feel it.” A scowl plastered to ruby red lips as she stared at the man. He only seemed to laugh and call her bluff, his grip on her wrist tightening as she tried to jerk it away.

Eventually she grit her teeth together, deciding that if words weren’t enough to sway him she would be forced to take action. She lifted her right foot up and quickly slammed it into the seat of the mans chair. The contact was close enough to his groin that the man faltered and jumped. At the movement the chair began to tilt backwards and the man released her to reach out at his sides to find something to keep him from falling. Unfortunately nothing was there to catch his fall and he slammed backwards, hitting the floor with a thud and a loud groan of his own.

Asami took a few steps backwards, forcing her expression to remain neutral despite how nervous she was. She hadn’t expected all that to happen, she simply wanted to startle the man.

The short man rolled to his side and slowly stood up, his heated gaze staring directly at the heiress. He began to advance on the woman, his intentions clear in his body language. He planned to teach her a lesson. That was when she felt two bodies slide up behind her and for a brief moment she thought she was being surrounded. Thankfully she caught the sight of Mako’s red scarf out of the corner of her eye and she knew she now had back up.

The short man seemed to falter as he noticed the two men standing behind his target. His eyes flickered back and forth, contemplating risking his own safety to take on this many people. Eventually he decided he didn’t feel like getting his ass kicked and slumped defeatedly out of the bar, though he left with several nasty words directed at the group.

“Nice of you two to finally back me up.” She muttered through clenched teeth as they moved over to their table where Opal had been anxiously waiting. “What the hell, Op! Where was my bestie when I was about to get my ass kicked?” Asami’s voice remained low as she glared at her friend who stared innocently back at her.

“I wanted to! But Bolin and Mako said you needed to do this by yourself.”

At that sharp jade eyes flickered to both men, waiting for an explanation.

“Listen. If you’re going to be living out here, you need to assert yourself. They’re going to keep rolling over you and trying to take advantage of you if they think you’re weak. But I’d say you did a pretty damn good job of letting these bastards know you aren’t up for any funny business.”

“Whoa, was that a compliment? Calm down, Mako. I might get the idea you think I’m more than a ditzy princess if you keep that up.”

The man rolled his amber eyes but smiled regardless.

“Besides. If it had gotten really serious we would have jumped in.” Bolin added. “We wouldn’t let you get hurt. But you sure showed him!”

“Damn right you did! From pampered princess to wasteland badass!” A woman’s voice spoke up and moments later a chair slid up next to Asami’s. Korra sat beside her, her chair backwards so she could lean on the back of it and grin that goofy grin at the heiress.

“Look who decided to show up. I knew you’d be here at some point.” Mako leaned back in his chair and folded his arms.

“You know we so well, Sharky. I just can’t stay away from alcohol and seaweed noodles.”

“That sounds like the least disgusting thing here. I think I’ll have some of that.” Opal added and Asami nodded her agreement. She was famished and the sound of the food didn’t seem too bad. Nothing compared to ‘Radstag Stew’. What the hell was a radstag?

“Whiskey goes really well with noodles.” Korra commented and to prove her point raised a glass of brown liquid in her hand. She offered her drink to Asami who simply shook her head. The vixen was still slightly irked by Korra’s behavior earlier and wasn’t really in the mood to interact with her at the moment.

“Suit yourself.” The woman murmured before downing the liquid in one swig. Her tan face grimaced as she swallowed back the drink and she exhaled loudly after she had finished.

Asami tapped her nails gently against the wooden table, hardly paying attention to the conversation at the table. It wasn’t until a bowl of something was put down in front of her that she realized she had been spacing out. She almost felt guilty, allowing her distraught emotions to get in the way of having a possibly genuine conversation with her eating partners.

“Um, so what is this?” Opal asked hesitantly and Asami glanced down at her own bowl. The food pieces inside of the yellow broth were green and it seemed like the cook had simply thrown leaves in their food and wished them their best.

“Seaweed noddles.” The wastelanders responded in unison before digging into their food. Asami hesitantly picked up her utensils and lifted some of the green substance from the broth. She eyed it curiously before deciding if everyone else was eating it, so would she.

She twirled the leaves around her fork and opted to put the entire thing in her mouth instead of trying to slurp it up like the rest of the group had been. It seemed rather unladylike to be making such noises at the table.

Asami was pleasantly surprised to find out the food didn’t actually taste that bad. There was enough herbs and seasoning to give the seaweed a salty but lemony taste to it. And the seaweed was soft enough from the broth to be able to chew it easily. Asami was quick to scoop up another batch and place it in her mouth hastily. She hadn’t realized how hungry she was until she really started eating.

“Well look at that. A prim and proper lady eating the food of us low folks. How endearing.” An annoyingly sweet voice interrupted Asami’s pleasant eating as she glanced up from her food to watch as Olivia waltzed over to their table, placing her arm possessively over Korra’s shoulders. The tanned woman was more preoccupied with eating to really pay attention to the woman touching her.

The heiress pretended to ignore the woman, continuing to eat and choosing to savor and enjoy her food rather than letting this bitch spoil it. Unfortunately the blonde seemed to have different plans.

“So now you’re too good to talk to me?” The woman’s voice turned bitter in a split second and Asami glanced at her once again, chewing with a mouth full of seaweed noodles. Was it a wastelander thing to have such short tempers? After swallowing the pile of food in her mouth she dabbed at her lips, careful not to smear her lipstick.

“I’m not sure what you expected me to say. For some reason you have a problem with me even though I haven’t spoken a word to you. So I chose to save myself the hassle of conversing with you.” With a simple shrug the heiress piled more food into her mouth, humming contentedly as she could feel her hunger slowly staving off.

This seemed to catch Korra’s attention, blue eyes slowly lifting to peer between the two women curiously.

“Oh so talking to me is a hassle? So sorry for inconveniencing you, bitch.” The sharp edge to the woman’s final word caused Asami to lift her eyes again, along with the rest of the table. The heiress should have been offended and fighting back but for some reason she couldn’t seem to muster up the anger to argue with the girl. Instead her green eyes sparkled with amusement at how quickly the woman turned to name calling. The rest of the table seemed to catch onto Asami’s ease because they focused back on their food, as did the heiress.

The silent treatment seemed to really irk the blonde, her teeth grinding together. She wasn’t earning the rise out of anyone from the table like she was hoping. And, from what Asami had taken from the situation, the girl liked to try and assert her dominance over other females.

“’Liv, just relax. We’re trying to enjoy our food.” Korra murmured through a mouthful, her cheeks puffed out with the amount of food inside of her mouth.

“Well I’d like to enjoy kicking her ass.” The woman shot back, causing all eyes to once again lift towards the blonde. Though this time Opal sat her utensils down, clearly ready to defend her friend if necessary. Asami spoke before she had the chance.

“You don’t really strike me as the fighting type.” A small smirk crept onto red lips as her green eyes narrowed into slits. It was certainly no secret that Asami also was not a fighter, but Olivia didn’t know that. And if Korra had seen Asami’s display of aggression earlier that likely meant that Olivia had as well. Now all it took was Asami talking herself up to try and hook the woman on her bluff.

The blonde hesitated for a moment, attempting to weigh her options. Korra had begun to eat more slowly, blue eyes wide in curiosity as to how this would play out. Was there going to be a cat fight? Or would Liv wuss out?

“And you are? You’d probably break a nail doing anything more than lifting a cup.” The woman seethed out, attempting to take control of the conversation again.

Asami set her utensils on the table and slowly slid herself up from her seat, standing at her full height. The woman wasn’t much shorter than Asami, but enough for it to be noticeable. Asami moved towards the woman, green eyes burning into brown, as if daring the woman to do something. It wasn’t until Asami was only a foot in front of the woman that she squared her shoulders, her gaze never faltering.

“Why don’t you find out.” Her voice remained calm, eluding her faux confidence.

The blonde immediately shrunk back, muttering beneath her breath. “I would if I hadn’t just got my hair done. So instead of violence why don’t we just handle it like we commoners do? With some good old fashioned gambling.”

This immediately piqued Asami’s interest. She had always been exceptional at any form of gambling that had been done inside the vault. So perhaps she would be introduced to new forms of it while in the wasteland.

“And what did you have in mind?”

“Pool. Best 2/3 games. The losers have to do whatever the winner wants, but they can only pick one thing. Me, you, Korra and Jason.”

Asami attempted to keep her face neutral as the standards were set. “Alright then. You have a deal. How are we picking partners?”

Korra winced apologetically, finally standing up and moving to Olivia’s side.

“Sorry ‘Sams. But I’m a sore loser so I’m gonna stick with Liv on this one. But Jason is good! So you might win!” She added enthusiastically.

Asami only scoffed, scrunching her nose in distaste. “And where is my partner?”

“Jay! Get over here!” Korra shouted to the pool table and a tall man emerged from the group. He was well-defined with a black faux hawk on the top of his head. A scar edged around the left part of his jaw but despite the edgy look his smile seemed genuine. He walked over to the women, pool stick in hand.

“What’s up? Ready for some more games?” He nudged Korra in the side.

“Actually we have a bet going. Best 2/3 games. You’re gonna be my friend Asami’s partner. The losers have to do what the winners say.” Korra grinned deviously at the man, waiting for him to groan out his dismay. To everyone’s shock his reaction was the complete opposite.

“Hell yeah! You ready to kick some ass, partner?” The man lifted his hand in the air and Asami slapped her hand against it in an enthusiastic high-five. She matched his grin, sliding next to him as she took up her teammates side. “So how are we playing? Legit, street?” The man questioned.

“Call your shots. No bogus shit.” Korra commented and they all nodded in agreement.

“Well, we’re gonna head out. See you back home, Sami. Kick some ass!” Opal gave the heiress a quick hug from behind before the group exited the bar. 

As the group gathered around the pool table they all began to chalk up the tips of their pool sticks. As Korra and Liv spent more time flirting than racking the balls Jason leaned over to whisper out of ear shot. “I don’t know what it is about you but I get the feeling you’re about to run this table.” Asami could only grin wickedly in response.

“Alright, strongest breaks first.” Korra announced as she took her spot at the end of the table, preparing the cue ball to break.

“I think you mean shortest.” Asami smarted back and her and Jay shared another high-five as Korra scowled at them.

The tanned woman bent over the table and slapped the tip of her stick against the cue ball, a loud crack ringing throughout the table as various solid balls clashed against one another. Unfortunately, none of them fell into the pockets.

“You might want to help your partner out, Jay. I doubt she even knows which ball to hit.” She could hear both Korra and Liv laugh at the awful joke and Asami only rolled her eyes. She was delighted when Jay made no attempts to try and assist her. He seemed confident in her abilities and that only caused her to want to show off more.

She eyed the solid ball sitting right on the edge of the pocket but decided the shot was too easy. Instead she lined herself up for a more difficult shot.

“11 into the 13. Both sinking in the corner pocket.” The vixens declaration seemed to shut up their laughter abruptly as both women’s eyes widened in surprise. Asami focused her shot in before slamming her stick into the cue ball. The white ball went careening into the 11, sending the ball flying forward and into the 13. The 13 sunk first followed soon after the 11 which had enough momentum to continue forward.

Asami stood up after her shot and flipped her hair over her shoulder mockingly. It seemed as if the entire bar had quieted and everyone was staring at her, silently amazed at what they had just witnessed. She didn’t even bother glancing at the two women, knowing her skills will easily outdo any words she would have for them. Instead her partner spoke up for her.

“Holy shit you two are so fucked!” He announced loudly before laughing mockingly in their faces. Knowing her partner had her back helped her confidence stay. Asami quickly bent over the table, once again lining up her shot.

“15. Corner pocket.”

 

 

The first game went by swiftly, Asami and Jay managing to run the entire table in the matter of 3 turns. This left the Korra and Liv silently dreading their obvious loss unless they really stepped up their game.

Their little game had caused a small crowd to gather around them, everyone interested in watching the “princess” run circles around the pool table. Each shot garnered a holler from the crowd that put Korra and her partner to shame. They couldn’t even manage proper shit talk in their humility.

Asami was left only with the 8 ball and had an easy shot at sinking it. She decided to run off of her winning high and instead slid the pool stick behind her back. She sat lightly on the table and lined up her shot from the behind the back. Before she took her shot she glanced up at the two women. Korra looked absolutely horrified at the prospect of her loss while Liv was seething from the heiress’ gloating. This only fueled the vixen more.

“This one’s for you, ladies.” She smacked her lips together as she kissed the air, clearly directing the action towards the women. The action caused a loud _ _ohhh!__  To erupt throughout the bar. “8. Corner.” Asami took her shot throughout the noise, the cue ball smacking into the 8 ball and sending it directly into the pocket.

Before Asami could ride the high of her victory she was lifted from the ground. The movement startled her at first before she discovered it was Jay, placing the heiress’ on his shoulder as they celebrated their victory. Asami threw her hands up in the air, allowing a victorious hoot of her own.

“A shot for the winners!” A random voice from the crowd shouted and almost immediately a small glass was placed in Asami’s hands, even as she remained atop her partners shoulders. The glass was clear and for a moment Asami thought it was water. She had never been much of a drinker and alcohol was not readily available in the vault, only for special occasions.

She leaned over to clink her glass against Jay’s raised one and threw the shot back into her mouth, her head flinging backwards in the movement. She was pleasantly surprised Jay had managed to keep both of them upright with her erratic movement.

The palate that penetrated Asami’s tastebuds about had her spitting the liquid back up. Whatever this fluid was, it was not water, and it burned her tongue the longer it sat in her mouth. She quickly opted to swallow the liquid but the burn followed down the back of her throat, her eyes watering as she attempted to hold her composure.

The crowd erupted into loud cheers once again and Asami managed to smile pass the awful taste in her mouth. She lifted her empty glass in triumph and was immediately handed another one. She desperately wanted to escape this loop of drinking but she knew this bout of comradery was a form of initiation into her new life.

Without a moments hesitation she quickly tossed back the second shot and was pleasantly surprised that that was much easier going down than the first one. And just like the first drink her second was quickly replaced by another.

Just as she was about to throw back her third shot a tan hand slid up to her wrist and grasped it, forcing the movement to stop. Asami narrowed her eyes at the person daring enough to stop her fun but saw it was only Korra. A scowl graced the normally goofy face and Asami could only lift her eyebrow in question.

“Do you need something, loser?”

The scowl only deepened and Asami couldn’t help a smug smile from forming on her lips.

“Why don’t you take it easy on the alcohol. I’m not going to stay here and take care of you if you get drunk.”

The heiress scoffed loudly before wrenching her wrist free from Korra’s grasp. She quickly downed her shot and tapped Jay on his shoulder, indicating she would like to be set down.

Once on her feet again Asami immediately noticed she wasn’t as steadyfoot. The heiress had never been drunk before, not even a bit tipsy as a matter of fact. So the feeling of possibly being buzzed after only a few shots was definitely a new and welcomed one. As soon as she knew she would be able to hold steady she jabbed her finger roughly into Korra’s chest.

“I’m going to do whatever I want! Why don’t you go back with your __girlfriend__  and quit pretending like you give a fuck!” The woman’s voice was not nearly as calm as she had been expecting. As a matter of fact it was loud, as if she couldn’t control her volume. The words seemed to be rushing from her mouth without giving her brain an opportunity to register them.

Korra’s scowl turned into a frown, her eyebrows knitting together. She almost appeared to be hurt, her blue eyes widening slightly at the berating. But the moment was temporary and Korra quickly shifted her expression into one of nonchalance.

“Girlfriend? Really? Jealous doesn’t suit you very well, Asami.”

Her hand immediately clenched into a fist and it took nearly every bit of willpower not to strike the cocky woman in her face. How dare Korra assume she was jealous of her fling. There wasn’t anything to be jealous of. After inhaling sharply through her nostrils Asami managed to unclench her fist and use her words instead.

“Get over yourself, Korra. There’s nothing for me to be jealous of. It’s not exactly difficult to be able to sleep around with any slut that throws themself at you.” Asami saw Liv advance on her out of the corner of her eye and immediately turned her sharp, emerald gaze on the blonde.

“And you. Winner gets to tell the loser to do anything, right?” The woman begrudgingly nodded. “Good. I don’t ever want to see you around me again. Don’t even look in my direction. I promise you if it does happen I’ll grab the nearest item and break it over your fucking head.” Asami hadn’t expected her words to be so harsh but there seemed to be a disconnect between her mind and mouth. She felt unusually hostile and actually considered acting out on these violent thoughts.

The crowd erupted into a loud __ohhh!__  again as the blonde scowled, clearly unimpressed with the woman.

“Fine. Whatever, bitch. Let’s go, Korra.”

Asami spared a glance at Korra to see if the woman would comply. Instead her eyes were only met with a piercing blue. The sight sent an involuntary shiver down her spine. She wasn’t sure if that was a good or bad look.

“You don’t have to sit here and babysit me. I wouldn’t want you to be forced to spend time with me.” The heiress spat out bitterly. She couldn’t even recognize where these words were coming from. What right did she have to say these things to a woman she barely knew? Nonetheless the words flowed freely from her mouth. “I’ll hangout and drink with my new friends. Jay will take care of me, right Jay?” She leaned against his frame and he put an arm protectively around her shoulders in a light embrace.

“Ofcourse I will, partner!”

Blue eyes narrowed dangerously as the tanned woman stepped forward but the momentum was stopped as Liv reached out and grasped onto Korra’s arm.

“Korra, I said let’s go!”

Korra simply tore her arm away from the woman’s grasp like it was nothing, eyeing Jay suspiciously.

“Don’t you have a woman back at home?”

Jay’s eyebrows shot up at the statement though there was no presence of guilt at the words, only shock.

“Ofcourse I do. And I love her dearly. That doesn’t mean I can’t have a drink with my new pal Asami!” He exclaimed excitedly. Korra knew the man would never be unfaithful but that didn’t keep the woman from wanting him to keep his paws off of Asami.

“Jealous doesn’t look good on you, Korra.” Asami shot the words from earlier back at the woman, reaching her hand out to grab another shot that was being directed at her.

“And you would know what it feels like to have someone be jealous over you? Doubt it.” Korra shot back. When the words didn’t hit where Korra had hoped she continued on. “Didn’t you say earlier you use to have a boyfriend back home? It was the guard we always dealt with, right?” Asami paused just as the shot glass reached her lips, eyeing Korra warily. Where was she going with this?

“And?”

“And he didn’t seem too broken up about sending you off. Guess the prospect of never seeing you again didn’t seem to bother him. So I’m not sure how you could know if someone was being jealous if nobody has ever cared enough about you to act like it.” Korra focused on her fingernails, choosing to not look at the heiress to allow the words to sink in. When blue eyes did finally lift upwards they widened in regret.

Asami lowered her glass from her mouth, choosing to stare into the liquid disconnectedly. She couldn’t stop her lower lip from quivering as she desperately tried to keep her tears from flowing as freely as her words had. Unfortunately with the influence of alcohol the heiress was having a harder time reigning in her emotions.

“Yeah. Yeah, I guess you’re right.” Asami managed to murmur, finally setting her shot down before the glass slipped from her grasp. “I guess nobody has ever cared enough. Why would that change now?” Her green eyes were glazed over with unshed tears as she lifted them to meet Korra’s. “I guess that ‘no hurting’ thing only applied to physical pain, huh?” The heiress swallowed back the lump in her throat as she forced her legs to move forward. She was suddenly comfortably sober and she thanked whatever gods there were that she was able to move pass the people without tripping up over her own drunkedness.

Behind her Asami could hear Olivia’s annoying laughter ring out amongst the rather silent crowd. The thought that so many people had witnessed their little dispute caused the heiress to lower her head in shame as she pushed out of the bar doors and entered the outside once more. She was surprised to see the sun had nearly set and there was little natural light left in the sky. She hadn’t expected to stay out so long. But the lack of people present is exactly what she wanted. All she needed was to be alone.

“Asami!” A familiar voice followed the sound of doors banging open and Asami didn’t bother to turn around to know it was Korra who had followed her. The sound of the woman’s voice finally caused a lone tear to slip down her pale cheek, but she didn’t turn to face the woman.

“Korra. I really just want to be alone right now. Please go away. Go back to your girlfriend.” As badly as Asami wanted to be bitter about the word she couldn’t manage the emotion to go with her words. She began to walk forward, not knowing where she was going as long as it was away from there.

“She’s not my girlfriend. She’s just a girl I fool around with every now and then.” Korra reiterated though it wasn’t nearly as angry as last time. It was almost pleading in a way. The sound of creaking metal behind her told Asami that Korra had chose to follow her. “Asami, please stop. I want to apologize.”

“I’m so tired of hearing your apologies, Korra. I’ve heard more apologies from you in two days than I have anybody in my entire life. I think that’s really saying something about our ‘friendship’.” Asami air-quoted the last word before walking a bit faster, hoping Korra will catch that she didn’t want to be followed.

It seems wastelanders don’t take to subtle hints very well because she could hear Korra pick up her pace behind her.

“Come on, ‘Sams. Cut me some slack. You kind of started it.” At the statement the heiress halted her footsteps and could tell Korra nearly bumped into her with the abrupt stop. She whipped around, her raven locks smacking Korra in the face as she did so. They were now face to face, Asami’s anger palpable as she glared at the shorter woman.

“My fault?! That bitch girlfriend of yours has been egging me on since earlier! And you LET her sit there and bad mouth me for no reason. And even took her side! What kind of friend does that, Korra?!” Her voice lilted slightly at the end of her statement. She could feel herself beginning to break down.

Korra’s eyes were wider than Asami had ever seen them. Blue pupils flickered guiltily from one green eye to the other, her eyebrows knit together ashamedly.

“Oh ‘Sami…” She whispered softly, her voice losing the hard edge to it and becoming soft and gentle. The sudden change in note threw the heiress off. She had never expected Korra to be capable of treating anything delicately. Asami wasn’t sure if she was thankful or irritated.

A tan hand slid slowly upward and Asami immediately flinched away from it. The pained expression that flashed across Korra’s face didn’t go unnoticed but the vixen refused to acknowledge it.

“Asami.” Korra stated more firmly this time but her tone remained gentle. Her hand moved for Asami’s cheek once again and she desperately wanted to move away again. Unfortunately she couldn’t muster the strength to move and instead closed her eyes tightly, grasping her lower lip between her teeth.

She felt a thumb brush over her cheek and swipe away a stray tear but the movement only annoyed the heiress. She jerked her head away and twisted her body back around.

“Korra I’m serious. I need to be away from you. Just leave me alone right now.”

She expected to be stopped once again as she began to walk away but was surprised when she felt no physical objection. She took advantage of Korra’s obedience and quickly made her exit. She knew she wanted to be anywhere but here before she made a mistake.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I told you not to hate me... A little drama to add to our sexual tension. Btw.. I HATE making oc characters....


	11. Come Find Me

“I know you’re from a vault. How would you describe your time on the inside?”

“It’s completely different to life out here. I didn’t realize just how easy we had it in the vault. Everyone worked in sync with one another. There was no killing, no fighting. Everyone did as they were told and that’s just how it was. I didn’t realize how truly free-spirited people could be until I came to the Commonwealth and met my companions. There is no freedom like what I’ve experienced out here.”

Piper nodded before continuing. “You’ve seen the Commonwealth. Diamond city. How does it compare to your old life?”

“Well, I can honestly say it’s a lot dustier.” Asami earned a couple of chuckles from her statement before continuing. “It’s harder out here. Back in the vault you had your job, did your job, and that was that. There was no struggling for food or water. No fighting to survive. No monsters. It was just easier.”

“We can both agree with that. But some monsters look like you and I. Anyways, you came all this way looking for someone. Who is it?”

“I’m looking for my dad, Hiroshi. He disappeared a few years back and now I’m out here trying to find him again. Or atleast trying to find out what happened to him.” Asami inhaled deeply, glancing away briefly before looking back at the woman. “Can I make a statement for him?”

Piper simply nodded, allowing for her to continue.

“Dad, if you’re anywhere out there. Come find me. I want to see you again.” Asami could sense a waver in her voice and paused for a moment to collect herself. “Things have gone bad. And I need you. So please, come back.” Asami began to tap her fingers rapidly against her thighs. She felt uncomfortably exposed.

“I want you to make a statement to Diamond city directly. What would you say to someone who’s lost a loved one but is too scared or too numb to look for them?”

“I’d tell them not to give up. If you truly love that person don’t give up on them. They might just be out there waiting for you to find them. Nobody wants to feel like they’ve been abandoned. Maybe knowing you’re out there searching for them will keep them going.”

“Well, thank you for your time Ms. Asami. I think you gave me some really good material for my new article. I think your words of inspiration is exactly what the Commonwealth needs right now.”

“No need to thank me, Piper. I was happy to help. Besides you’re helping me out as well.” Asami stood up from her seated position and offered her hand to her interviewer. Piper grasped the hand and shook it firmly with a smile.

“Good luck out there, kid. I hope you find your dad.”

“Thanks Piper.” At her words Asami moved away from the woman and exited the building. The interview took more out of her than she expected but at the same time she felt a weight lift off her shoulders. It felt good to get that out of the way and maybe it would actually make a difference in their investigation.

The muggy wasteland air greeted her as soon as she exited the building but by now she was accustomed to the stickiness of the air. It wasn’t a pleasant feeling, but it was one she had grown use to rather quickly.

She began to walk her way back to Homeplate. Despite how small the building was it had become rather homey in Asami’s mind. They were all forced to mingle with one another and bonds within the group have increased. Well, most bonds, anyways.

Korra had done exactly what Asami asked and kept her distance. So much so that Asami hadn’t actually seen her in the last three days. Either the woman was completely avoiding her or she was good at not being noticed. The pain from their argument three days ago had long faded away and Asami felt more like herself again. She blamed her over-emotional state on her drunken stupidity. But any negative feelings that may have lingered were long gone now.

“Asami!” A familiar voice shouted to her as she reached the marketplace. She twisted her head sideways to see Jay walking over to her with a smile and a young woman on his arm. Asami could only conclude the woman was the girlfriend that was mentioned a few days prior.

“Well hey there, Jay.” She offered a smile to the approaching couple.

“Glad to see you out and about. I wanted to introduce you to my wife, Suluk.” The woman beside him was about Asami’s height with tanned skin and dark hair similar to Korra’s but her eyes were a golden hue.

“It’s nice to meet you, Suluk. I’m Asami.” A pale hand extended and the woman shook it gently.

“Oh I know who you are. Jason hasn’t stopped talking about how you and him put Korra and Liv in their places. It’s about time.” The woman offered a toothy grin.

Asami’s eyebrows scrunched worriedly as she glanced at Jay. How could he be comfortable talking about her to his wife? She hoped she hadn’t given off the wrong impression.

“Oh hun, don’t worry yourself. We always talk about things like this. I know this bug lump wouldn’t ever cheat on me. We’re comfortable enough to talk about things like this.”

Asami visibly relaxed at the revelation. The last thing she wanted to do was cause a rift between a married couple.

“That’s really admirable. I don’t think a lot of people could do that.”

The group began to walk with Asami as she continued on, sharing idle banter with one another. Every now and then the three would be greeted by a familiar face. Asami didn’t know that she would be so easily recognized in this city just based off of her shenanigans in the bar.

“So how are you and Korra doing since the incident?” Jay didn’t seem to have any hesitance in asking what was on his mind. Asami wished more people would be as upfront as him.

“I haven’t really seen her, honestly. I asked her to give me some space and she’s been doing exactly that. She’s probably been with Olivia the entire time.” Just mentioning the woman’s name put a bad taste in her mouth.

“Hmm I don’t think so. She’s been in the bar for the past few nights drinking and gambling. I haven’t really seen her hanging around Liv.”

The revelation made Asami sigh silently. She felt relieved knowing Korra hadn’t been out and about filling her days with women. Not that it was really any of her business. But she felt a certain satisfaction knowing Korra was actually feeling guilty about what she had done.

“Oh lord, what did Korra do now? I swear the only time she ever messes up is when it’s something good for her.” Suluk added with a shake of her head.

“She just said some really unnecessary things when Asami here called her out on being jealous. Which she totally was. Korra knows I’d never cheat on you if I want to keep my boys.” At the end of his statement he pressed a kiss to the woman’s cheek who only grinned devilishly.

Asami couldn’t help but giggle. These two seemed like they would be the ideal couple.

“Yes, she was acting a bit overboard. But I might have overdone it myself.”

“Because you were also jealous.” Jay added.

She shot him a glare. “I was not jealous. I was just really irritated.”

“Coming from a friend, Asami. You were jealous. You probably didn’t notice but you couldn’t take your eyes off of them. Even I could tell and I didn’t even know you.”

She only rolled her eyes at this comment. “I can’t be jealous of somebody I don’t like like that.”

“What’s not to like? If I wasn’t a married woman…” Suluk added before nudging her husband in the ribs playfully.

“I honestly wouldn’t blame you. Korra is awesome.” The man grinned, wrapping his arm around his wife’s shoulders.

“Yeah. Sure. If you like a ball of muscle with a bad attitude.” Asami murmured disdainfully.

“Aww come on. Give her a little credit. She’s pretty funny. And that bad attitude is just a front of hers. She’s one of the nicest people I’ve ever met.”

Asami stared incredulously at the man as he spoke. Were they talking about the same Korra? The same woman who had been all too trigger happy a few days ago.

“Listen sweetie. Korra has a history of her own. Especially with women. And not all of it is good. She’s pretty defensive with her feelings and she’s known for lashing out if she likes somebody. Kinda like how boys pick on the girls they like when they’re younger.”

“Well it’s a damn shame we’re not little kids then.” Asami grumbled, growing tired of this conversation. Why did it matter?

She felt a hand pat her shoulder softly and she glanced to the side at the other woman. “All I’m saying is try not to hold it against her. Korra will never admit it, but getting too close to somebody is kind of a big fear of hers.”

“How do you two know all of this?” Green eyes peered at them curiously.

The couple glanced at one another before Jay shrugged helplessly. “We’ve all known eachother for awhile. Korra use to live here with her ex. When things went downhill with their relationship she up and left but we’ve all kept in contact with one another.”

Asami’s eyebrows shot up at the new information. Ofcourse it wasn’t completely unbelievable that Korra had had actual relationships before but for some reason the thought surprised the heiress. Especially considering the two implied the break-up had gone horribly wrong.

“What happened?” Asami couldn’t help her piqued interest. Korra was a bit of a mystery. It seemed like the tanned woman knew all about Asami’s personal life but there wasn’t much information given in return.

“Ah ah. That’s for Korra to tell you, if she wants to. It’s not our place.” Suluk added.

Ofcourse Asami should have expected that response. It wasn’t her place to ask for someones personal information from other people. “You’re right. I know better. Maybe I’ll ask her about it if we ever talk again.”

At that all of them shared a chuckle. Asami hadn’t even noticed they were already in front of her residence.

“Well, it was nice catching up. Glad to see you didn’t let what happened the other night bother you too much. We should hustle some guys when you’re up to it again.”

“I’d like that.” She offered both of them a smile before entering her home.

The house was quiet and empty and Asami was going to take complete advantage of that. She rushed up the rickety stairs and moved to the one bathroom that was inside of the home. It was difficult sharing a shower between the entire group so she planned to take advantage of its availability while it was there.

She quickly stripped off her clothing and moved underneath the water before it had a chance to get warm. The water in the wasteland didn’t get very hot but with the heat outside it wasn’t very necessary.

The stream of water ran down her porcelain skin and she groaned in satisfaction. The water felt different compared to the water in the vault. It didn’t make her skin feel smooth but a shower was a shower and she was going to take full advantage. All that really mattered was she had water, soap and shampoo. She wasn’t going to be overly picky considering most people out here didn’t have such luxuries.

She scrubbed herself thoroughly, forcing the dirt off of her body. No matter how frequently she showered dirt still managed to find its way caked on her body. It was aggravating and she knew she’d need more soap if she was going to be clean.

She forced herself out of the shower despite her body’s protest. As badly as she’d like to stay under the stream for the rest of the day she knew she needed to grab some items for her thorough cleaning. Thankfully she’d picked up some items around the marketplace with her meager earnings from fixing the mayor’s lift. She had no intention of following through with their ploy until the man offered her money as incentive. She still didn’t understand why wastelanders paid with bottle caps instead of actual money.

Asmai threw the bathroom door open and froze at the sight in front of her.

Kora was bent over Asami’s sleeping area trifling with her bedding. Blue eyes lifted and widened like a deer caught in headlights. Though it wasn’t the fact that the woman had been caught red-handed nosing through another persons belongings, but the fact that Asami was completely nude in the doorway.

Neither woman spoke, both eyes wide as saucers as they stared at one another. It wasn’t until blue eyes flickered a little bit lower that Asami’s body finally reacted and she slammed the door shut to hide behind it.

“Korra!” The woman yelled, her face flushing red with both humility and anger. Korra had seen her. All of her.

“I’m so sorry!” The tanned woman squeaked out on the other side of the door. “I’ll leave!” She added hastily but Asami was quick to respond.

“Don’t you dare leave! You better explain why you were messing with my shit, Korra!” The woman ordered angrily and when she didn’t hear anybody practically falling down the stairs she assumed Korra listened to her.

Asami snatched her towel from the counter and wrapped it around her body. There wasn’t really a point in protecting her modesty when she had already exposed herself but she did it anyways. Once she was properly covered she cracked the door open to see Korra standing awkwardly next to her bedding. She fully opened the door and walked into the sleeping area, folding her arms over her chest.

“Well?” She forced herself to reign in her anger. She hadn’t seen Korra in a few days and was going to give the woman the benefit of the doubt.

Korra didn’t look at her and Asami wasn’t sure if that was because of guilt or to give the woman some privacy.

“I promise I wasn’t going through your stuff.”

“Okay that’s fine. But that still doesn’t explain what you were doing.”

“Y’see…” The woman trailed off before she began to shuffle her feet nervously. Asami lifted her eyebrow curiously. She hadn’t really seen the tanned woman act so apprehensive and it put the heiress on edge.

“Korra.” The woman’s voice was soft but stern.

After clearing her throat Korra continued. “You told me you didn’t want me to bother you. So I didn’t want to bug you. But I got you something but since you didn’t want to see me I was just gonna put it on your stuff.” The words were so rushed it took Asami a moment to process them completely. Once they finally registered she dropped her defensive posture.

“You got me something?” Asami couldn’t keep the small smile from her face as the other woman nodded her head slowly. “Korra, you didn’t have to do that.” Her voice was sweet, attempting to coax the other woman to look at her.

“I know. But I wanted to. I saw it and thought it’d look good on you.” She shrugged as if the gesture was no big deal but to Asami it was. Based off of what she knows about Korra, buying girls things wasn’t a common occurrence. Then again, she could be wrong.

“And what were you going to do if you just left it on my bed? How was I suppose to know it was from you?”

“As long as you got it I didn’t care who you thought it came from.” She shrugged her shoulders helplessly. “I just wanted you to have it, even if you thought Mako gave it to you.” Asami could only chuckle at the absurdity of that statement.

“Can I see it or are you going to hide it until I disappear again?” Asami couldn’t help but giggle quietly as Korra’s face lit up in a light blush. Without saying a word a muscled arm extended outwards and exposed a small, green hair clip in the palm of her hand.

Asami’s smile grew as she reached outwards and took the accessory. As soon as the object was gone Korra’s arm quickly retreated and her fist disappeared into her jacket pocket.

“It’s not much. Just thought you might like it. You got a lot of hair so this will help keep it out of your face. For shooting and stuff.” Korra bobbed her shoulders in a shrug, her eyes refusing to look anywhere except at the floor.

“Stay here.” Asami ordered again, though this time the tone of her voice was tender. She disappeared back into the bathroom and threw her clothes haphazardly back on. She ran a quick comb through her hair before gingerly applying the hair clip. She was pleased that the object successfully kept her mess of locks back. She reemerged moments later after turning off the shower with the accessory in place and couldn’t help but smile at the sight before her.

Korra was rocking back and forth on her feet, appearing like a child who was bored out of their minds.

“How does it look?” This finally encouraged the tanned woman to look at her and the way blue eyes softened upon taking her appearance caused the vixens heart to skip a beat. When a few moments of silence passed Asami’s smile turned a bit shy, lifting her fingers to brush back some of her excess hair behind her ear.

“Well?”

This seemed to snap Korra out of her trance and that captivating smile appeared on tan lips.

“Beautiful.”

Asami slid her hands behind her back and began to play with the hem of her shirt absent-mindedly, her smile still present.

“Are we still talking about the hair clip?”

“I can honestly say no. Why do you even wear make up, ‘Sams? You definitely don’t need it.”

The vixens face flushed as she shrugged her shoulders timidly. “My mom always wore it. So I guess when I grew older I wanted to do it too. Just kind of reminds me of her.” She admitted the memory so openly she was almost shocked at herself. She silently cursed herself for saying something so grim when they were finally getting back on speaking terms.

“Right. I’ll uh, head back out. Sorry if I bothered you. Glad you like it.” The woman attempted to retreat again but Asami responded just as quickly.

“Korra.” The woman stated gently and Korra stopped once more, though this time her back was facing the porcelain beauty.

Asami moved forward and towards the stairs. She grasped a toned forearm as she walked pass the woman and led her down the stairs. Thankfully Korra didn’t fight her.

Once down in the living area she sat down on the couch, tucking her legs beneath her. She encouraged Korra to sit beside her by patting the cushion. The tanned woman plopped down like a dead weight on the couch, sitting with her legs spread open and shoulders hunched slightly. She appeared like she was dreading this conversation before Asami even had a chance to speak.

“I’m not mad anymore.” Asami chose the straightforward route instead of beating around the bush. Korra seemed to respond better to those methods.

“Doesn’t replace the fact that I went way too far.” Kora murmured as she twiddled her thumbs together. Blue eyes once again refused to meet green.

“I won’t argue with that. But you don’t have to keep moping about it. I got over it. And you learned a lesson. I think it all worked out in the end.”

Korra didn’t respond, the corner of her lips twisting downwards into a frown.

“Penny for your thoughts?” Asami encouraged the woman with her own choice of words from a few days ago.

Korra’s thumbs slowly stopped their movement as she closed her eyes. Her frown twisted into more of a scowl now. “I let my anger get the best of me. And I hurt your feelings. Again.” Her hands began to clench and unclench into fists and Asami’s eyes softened. The young woman was really tearing herself apart about this.

“Friends argue, Korra. I can’t tell you how many times Opal and I about got into it. That’s just how it is. Never hurting somebody just isn’t a realistic possibility. But atleast you’re trying. That’s what really matters to me.”

“You drive me crazy.” Korra’s sudden statement caused Asami’s eyebrows to scrunch in confusion.

Kora finally lifted her eyes upwards and normally excited, icy blue eyes were a shade darker with apprehension, confusion and what Asami could only assume was fear.

“You drive me crazy and I don’t know why.” Korra admitted softly, her voice a hushed whisper as she stared almost pleadingly at Asami, as if begging the heiress for answers.

Asami didn’t have a verbal response for the woman. She could relate in a sense. Korra seemed to bring out the worst in the heiress. She couldn’t keep her emotions in check, both good and bad. Years of etiquette training were lost on Asami when she was around Korra.

“It shouldn’t be like this. I barely know you. And that’s what really confuses me.” Korra continued, her eyes drifting downwards again. Asami didn’t know what to do with herself. She felt her own chest tighten when Korra was in such obvious distress. All she wanted was to help the younger woman. She would gladly take on the same pain from a few days ago if it meant Korra would be at ease again.

Asami laid her arm over the back of the couch and rested her cheek against her bicep. Her eyes not once left the woman in front of her, silently willing away her affliction. The vixen shuffled through her options in her head. She decided a more physical approach was necessary. Korra seemed to respond to physicality better than anything.

The heiress extended her free arm outwards and gently settled her hand over top of one of Korra’s fists. The tanned woman almost immediately relaxed under the gentle touch. Korra’s eyes continued to stare downwards but her other hand had moved over top of Asami’s and grasped it gently. A tan thumb began to swirl idle circles over top of a porcelain thumb as the wastelander pondered silently to herself.

Asami allowed the woman her time of silence, her green eyes being closed off from view as her eyelids slid shut. She basked in the soft touch of the other woman’s hand. It was almost comfortable enough for her to fall asleep. That was until she felt a shift in the cushion next to her. She slowly peeled her eyelids back open and offered a sweet smile when she saw blue eyes were finally looking at her.

Neither woman spoke. Words weren’t necessary as they simply stared at one another. The vixen was so enraptured she barely noticed her hand being lifted. It didn’t become apparent until Korra closed her eyes.

Asami held her breath as she felt the back of her fingers being pressed into soft, warm lips. She couldn’t peel her eyes away from the sight no matter hard she tried. She didn’t pull her hand away or fight the advances.

After a few moments Korra finally lowered her hand and blue eyes met jade once more but with a new determination. The blue was no longer desperate or confused. They were hard and resolute, as if she had made up her mind on a big decision.

Korra began to inch herself forward, her upper body leaning towards Asami. The intentions from the tanned woman were obvious, blue eyes flicking down to pale lips. Asami’s heart began to hammer in her chest but she didn’t pull away from the advances. Instead she slowly closed her eyes, silently awaiting the inevitable with an excitement she couldn’t compare to any other feeling.

A creak from the front door interrupted the perfect silence.

“There you are Korra! Oh- holy shit.”

“Shh. Go, go.” A feminine voice whispered and Asami peeked one eye open. Korra had leaned backwards and into her upright position but her eyes remained glued to Asami’s face despite the awful interruption. Asami could only smile.

“Opal, Bolin. It’s fine. We were just talking.”

The shuffling next to the door ceased and Asami finally glanced over to see both their heads peeking in, as if contemplating the truth to her words. Asami gave Korra’s hand a reassuring squeeze before slipping from her grasp to usher their friends into the home. The couple hesitantly entered but both had shit eating grins all over their face.

“Sorry for interrupting.” Bolin muttered sheepishly, offering an apologetic smile. Korra finally turned away from the heiress to look at the boy with such an aloof expression it was almost believable.

“You didn’t interrupt, Bo. Like she said, we were just talking. If we really wanted privacy we would be upstairs taking advantage of that shower.” Korra waggled her eyebrows suggestively and Asami couldn’t help but chuckle. She was glad they were back to their joking.

“I didn’t realize you could talk without your lips moving.” Opal inquired with a raised eyebrow.

“It’s telepathy. It’s a wastelander thing, you wouldn’t understand.”

“Hmm… Asami isn’t a wastelander though.”

“Sure she is! She basically got into a bar fight, drank away her troubles and gambled. That was her induction to the wasteland life.”

Asami rolled her eyes and lifted herself up from the couch. “Well, while you children try to figure out how you’re going to make Opal a full-fledged wastelander I’m going to go put on my face.”

The woman dissapeared upstairs for several minutes to apply her make up and mentally relay what had just happened. If Opal and Bolin hadn’t walked in would they have kissed? The thought sent a pleasant shiver down her spine. Her heavy reaction to such a minor gesture forced the heiress to finally face her feelings. She was very much attracted to Korra, but something was keeping her from acting on these feelings. Normally the ever-confident heiress would have no problem jumping into someones lap she found attractive and having a full-blow makeout session with them. But with Korra it was different. Was it because Korra was a woman or did it go deeper than that? Was it because she wanted to be more than just another notch on a bedpost?

Her mind whirred with the endless possibilities. She had never been affected by the thought of a purely physical relationship with a person. But her hesitance on the idea would place her jealousy from a few days in perspective. But could Korra provide the security the heiress needed in a first relationship? With how up and down their friendship had been it could very well end in disaster. A part of her didn’t want to risk the possibility of losing one of the only people she knew out here because they let feelings and sex get in the way. But a larger part of her wanted to desperately allow this toned woman to sweep her off of her feet and whisper sweet nothings to her through a night of passion.

The next question was would Korra even want to take things further beyond sex? The possibility filled the heiress with doubt. The wastelander had a decent life, why would she give up her bachelor lifestyle for some entitled vault-dweller? They were polar opposites. With a heavy sigh Asami finished applying her lipstick before joining the group back downstairs.

Mako had entered the building just As Asami hit the bottom step and he looked around to see everyone present.

“Good. You’re all here. Nick isn’t back yet so I left the message with Ellie. I think we should head out today and get over to Goodneighbor. I’m sure we could find some people with information around that area.”

The group nodded their unison before everyone broke apart to pack up their belongings.

“So how far away is Goodneighbor?” Opal asked curiously.

“From here it’s about 3 hours. We’re gonna be walking the whole time so hope you all aren’t too tired.” Mako added as he slung his leather sack over his shoulder.

Asami groaned internally. She had been truly enjoying her relaxation time and she felt thoroughly unfulfilled from her shower earlier. Nonetheless, she put on her big girl panties and got over it. Until she found a faster means of travel she may as well get use to being on her feet.

As the group all gathered their belongings they began to chat away as they made their way out of the house. Asami felt a light bump to her arm and glanced to her side.

“Don’t worry. If you get too tired I’ll carry you. For a price.” Korra suggested with a waggle of her eyebrows.

Asami scoffed with a gentle girn present. “And what are your prices?”

“Well, normally I charge pretty high. But for this one time offer, I’ll settle for us continuing where we left off back there.” Her voice had grown a bit quieter, making sure Asami was the only to hear.

Asami’s face lit up in a blush as she looked away. She didn’t expect Korra to bring it up so quickly, even if nothing did happen.

“But for now I’ll try and keep you on your feet, free of charge.” At that Korra extended her hand outwards, palm up so Asami could take it.

Green eyes flickered to the hand first before glancing up at Korra curiously. The dopey smile present on her face helped calm Asami’s nerves as she slid her slender hand into a tanned one. Korra immediately grasped her hand gently and let them fall at their sides. She could feel Korra brush her thumb over the back of her hand gingerly and the heiress offered another sincere smile.

“My hero.”


	12. Confessions

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Whelp. Another long chapter. You know the drill, people. Another 4-5 days for an update.

The shift in the wastelanders’ demeanor once they were about an hour from Diamond City was clearly noticeable. The group had been talking animatedly about anything and everything. Most of it was about the fact that Asami and Korra had been holding hands and even at being caught refused to let go. The heiress thought the gesture was innocent but ofcourse her best friend had to make a big deal out of it.

But as the group got further and further into the rubble of Boston, Mako, Korra and Bolin had all become a little more tense and a little less talkative. They all had their guns drawn for a precaution but remained enthusiastic about their travels. Asami assumed that they would all remain calm until Naga alerted them to danger.

“So I don’t really want to know. But I want to know. What other things do we have to worry about out here? And not just this area, either.”

“Too many things to name.” Korra stated matter-of-factly. “But to start off we have bloatflys. Big ugly bugs. Mirelurks. Giant killer crabs. Deathclaws, ofcourse. Oh! And can’t forget radscorpions.” Asami could feel Korra’s hand tighten around her own at the mention of the different creatures. Asami gave a gentle squeeze back, silently reassuring the woman.

“Those sound awful. Bolin, will you teach me how to shoot? Asami’s girlfriend did.” Opal jut out her lower lip in a pleading look, staring at the man hopefully.

“Seriously, Opal? Don’t push it.” Asami scolded and a moment later she felt Korra release her hand. The heiress could have cried out at the loss of contact. Their hands fit so well together but Asami couldn’t manage the courage to try and take Korra’s hand back. So she simply let her arm dangle at her side, refusing to make eye contact with the woman beside her.

“When we get to Goodneighbor I’ll stock up on some ammo and see what I can teach you. But as much as I hate to admit it, Korra is probably a better teacher. I mean, Asami learned how to do it in a couple of hours!”

“Bo, she’s trying to get some alone time with you moron. Shut up and accept the job.” Korra rolled her eyes to the oblivious man whose own eyes widened with excitement.

Asami chuckled quietly, smiling at Korra. “Was that your plan all along? You did all that so you could be all over me?”

“I wouldn’t call that ‘all over you’. Imagine how it would have been if we were actually alone.” Her toothy grin caused Asami to blush lightly, attempting to keep the lewd thoughts from her mind.

“I can’t imagine there would have been much teaching if that were the case.”

“I would have been more than happy to teach you something else. Something a lot more __fun__.” Blue eyes slowly roamed over the heiress’ body and her blush only intensified. Asami cleared her throat and returned her attention forward.

Asami took the time to look around her. The buildings were not nearly as tall as the ones that were closer to Diamond City but they still held a decent height to them. They also seemed to be a bit more in tact.

The walk had grown quiet except for Opal and Bolin discussing their plans for her gun training. The boredom was enough for Asami to begin playing with her own gun. She desperately wanted to shoot it, to continue her target practice, but she didn’t feel like dealing with Mako’s mouth if she decided to. And something about the still silence of the area around them was unsettling. She didn’t want to call more attention to themselves.

Now that she really focused she did notice that the area was eerily quiet. Normally she could hear birds or some kind of critter skittering around. But the entire area was void of life. Asami subconsciously moved closer to Korra, nearly shoulder to shoulder with the shorter woman.

“You good?” Korra asked quizzically, turning her attention to the woman.

“Yeah.. I don’t know. Something just seems weird. I’ve got this bad feeling.” Asami kept her voice level and even quieter than usual. For some reason keeping her voice down made her feel a bit more comfortable, as if her volume would disturb the silence.

“I know what you mean. It’s really quiet. Even Naga is a little on edge.” As if to confirm their worries a loud scream could be heard off in the distance. The entire group immediately stiffened at the sound, attempting to decipher its location.

“Everyone in the building! Now!” Mako barked out his order, running to the nearest building and hopping through the broken window pane. The entire group followed suit, each of them kneeling down so they were hidden behind the partial wall.

“Keep quiet.” Mako ordered through clenched teeth before peeking over the wall to try and catch sight of whatever the scream came from. Korra had opened her mouth to undoubtedly relay a snarky comment but Asami quickly clapped her hand over the woman’s mouth, shaking her head slowly. When she knew Korra wouldn’t talk she removed her hand and peeked over the wall herself.

Everything seemed fine. Nothing out of the ordinary was happening and the woman was half-tempted to urge the group to just continue their trek and be more vigilant. That was until another yell erupted into the silence, the words unintelligible.

Asami’s eyes immediately flicked to the direction it had come from and only moments later a lone figure could be seen appearing from the shadows of the tall buildings. It was a man who was running at full speed, but from what was unknown.

“We have to help him!” Asami stated hurriedly and went to stand up to urge the man over to their safe spot. Before she could rise completely she was roughly jerked back to the ground by Korra whose eyes remained on the running man. Before Asami could raise her arguments a bone-chilling roar was heard coming from the same direction as the man. Green eyes widened in fear as they darted around the shadows, attempting to find the culprit of such a noise.

“Fuck.” She could hear Bolin whisper fearfully. Apparently the man already knew what could make such a sound.

Suddenly it felt like the ground beneath them was shaking, or atleast it sounded like it. Asami’s eyes widened as a creature a distance away could be seen sprinting on all fours towards the man who had been screaming for help.

From a distance the creature didn’t seem so big, but as it emerged from the shadows and into the opening Asami realized she couldn’t be further from wrong. Whatever this thing was it was huge. It looked like a giant reptile with long, sharp claws and horns upon its head.

The speed the beast was running easily closed whatever distance the man had on it. Before the man had a chance to retaliate he was scooped up in the creatures large hands, being jerked around like some sort of ragdoll. The feeble screams from the man could no longer be heard over the horrendous roar of the monster. As soon as that roar of victory ended the mans upper body disappeared in the monsters mouth. The beast ripped him in half with ease and Asami had to turn away from the gory sight.

She bit her lower lip to suppress her whimpers and pressed her face into Korra’s shoulder. She had never witnessed a savage death such as this. It was bloody, messy and brutal. She felt Korra’s hand slip up behind her head and press into it protectively so the woman no longer had to witness the killing.

“You know the drill. Let’s get moving.” She could barely make out Mako’s words. She was trembling at this point, terrified of the prospect of moving and being found by that creature. But who knows how long that monster would stay. And what if it could smell them? She felt a pair of lips press to the top of her head for an all too brief moment before soft words were whispered directly into her hair, loud enough for her to hear.

“I’ll protect you Asami. Trust me.” No matter how many scenarios played through the heiress’ mind none of them resulted in Korra being able to take on such a monster. But despite the reality of the situation, Asami couldn’t help but believe the woman. She nodded slowly and lifted her head, looking to bright blue eyes for reassurance. She found strength in those sapphire orbs and forced herself out of her own fear to act. No matter what happened, Korra would keep her safe.

Mako was the first to move from their hiding spot, quickly rushing across the small alleyway and into another building. When he gave the signal Opal quickly rushed across, followed by Bolin, Korra and Naga then Asami. The group repeated this process of bounding and hiding to multiple different buildings, managing to make it decently far while the creature feasted on its prey.

They had been at it for ten minutes and Asami was confident they were going to make it out of this alive. That was until the monster released another heart-stopping roar, immediately drawing the heiress’ attention who was hidden behind the corner of a building. She peeked around the building and noticed the monster wasn’t looking directly at her but in the groups entire direction. It had clearly spotted something that irritated it. When Asami followed its line of sight her heart nearly stopped.

Standing like a deer in headlights was Opal, caught inbetween two buildings. She had dirt on the front of her clothing, indicating to Asami she had tripped and that was most likely what caught the beasts attention. As if she were watching in slow motion, Asami stared as the monster began to lunge forward, its target clear. The heiress had no clue what she was doing until the gun she had been gripping was held in front of her and she fired three shots towards the beast, hitting it with two. It wasn’t exactly a difficult shot with the sheer size of the monster.

The beast stopped with a skid and immediately turned its gruesome gaze on the heiress. She felt glued to the spot, her jaw dropping at the sheer stupidity of her actions. She clearly had not thought about what she was going to do once she captured the beasts attention. There was only one option available right now.

The woman quickly turned on her heels and began to sprint down the nearest alley, her eyes searching desperately for an escape route. She could feel her heart hammering in her chest and her legs felt like they wanted to give out from the sheer fear of being eaten alive. Fortunately the adrenaline kept her moving.

She could hear the creature crying out behind her, but it seemed she had some distance on it. She supposed it wouldn’t be able to fit through the alley and it was being slowed down. This gave her more of a chance to find her escape route.

Green eyes darted to a what looked like a set of stairs going beneath the ground. Hope flooded her chest as she ran for the stairs, hoping the monster was far away enough to not notice her moving down the steps. What greeted her below about caused her heart to stop.

A terminal was located next to a thick, metal door at the bottom of the steps. She began to push on the door, attempting to will it open with pure strength alone. Ofcourse the attempt was in vain and she knew she would only be able to access it through the terminal. With deft fingers she slammed into the keyboard, waiting for the prompt to open the sealed door. The next screen that popped up had the woman groaning in frustration. A screen with multiple symbols, letters, numbers and words popped up. This door would not be opened unless it was hacked.

A low growl from above her caused the hairs on her arms to stand up as she slowly lifted her head to see the giant creature standing at the top of the steps, its eyes glaring hungrily down at her. The woman’s knees gave out at the sight in front of her, crumpling to the floor as she stared defeatedly up at the monster. She couldn’t even manage tears at the fact she was only moments away from dying.

Just as the beast opened it’s mouth to reveal horrifying fangs multiple shots rang out, causing the monster to quickly turn its attention to its new attacker. Asami could barely contain herself and despite being out of danger she still couldn’t move. Her body was froze, trying to decide if she was actually safe or not. After moments of the monster not returning she finally found the strength to lift herself up and get back to work on the terminal. It only took a few attempts for the woman to crack the code and the prompt to open the door was given. The woman was a genius engineer, hacking was like second nature to her.

Before she had the opportunity to completely finish her hacking routine a painful yell erupted from above ground followed by a ground-shaking explosion. Asami knew she could easily save her own life by ignoring whoever was up there. But how could she give up on the person who saved her life? Swearing beneath her breath Asami quickly grabbed her weapon and ran back up the stairs, her head peeking over to observe the scene before her.

Random blood puddles were located throughout the road, most likely from the monster. Smoke practically covered the area and Asami located the source from one of the random cars that seemed to have exploded. The monster was located near that car, it’s body swaying around uneasily. She came to the conclusion the beast was stunned from the explosion but very much not dead. She spotted Korra crouched behind another vehicle, desperately reloading her weapon. The woman seemed unscathed for the most part.

“Korra!” Asami desperately shouted to the woman. Ofcourse the boisterous approach most likely wasn’t the wisest but Asami didn’t trust her legs to carry her over.

Korra’s head immediately snapped in her direction and she urgently ushered the woman over to her. Korra seemed hesitant to move but ultimately decided sitting out in the open was a worse option. The tanned woman sprinted over to her companion, a noticeable limp in her step as she moved. When Korra reached the steps Asami took it upon herself to sling one of Korra’s arms over her shoulder to help the injured woman down the steps.

“Just relax and let me get this door open.” Asami’s voice wavered as she set Korra against the wall and returned to the terminal. Her hands were shaking to the point she was having difficulty getting back to the hacking screen. She forced herself to breathe slowly, hoping the technique would calm her nerves.

“Asami.” Korra croaked out and the pale beauty glanced at the woman, but Korra was not looking at her. Asami followed her eyes to the top of the steps where the predator was moving downwards towards them at a slow pace, as if hoping to strike the fear of death into its prey. Maybe it’d make them tastier.

Several shots rang out beside Asami, and she watched as the bullets did little to phase the monster in front of them. As a matter of fact, it only aggravated it more, another boisterous growl erupting from its vocal chords.

Asami hastily returned her attention back to the terminal and forced herself to focus on the proper buttons. Everything around her tuned out except for getting this door opened. At the sound of gears turning Asami cried out in triumph, the metal door swinging open. She didn’t dare look behind her as she grabbed Korra, jerking the woman towards the door.

The monster let out yet another roar and Korra screamed out beside her just as Asami pushed her into the entrance of the doorway. “Naga!”

Asami turned in time to see the white dog tugging on the beasts tail, forcing its attention on the animal instead. Naga’s growls could be heard over the whirring of the machinery along with the loud yelp that followed when the monster swung its claws towards the dog, striking her in the ribcage and sending her back above ground. Asami couldn’t wipe the image of the dogs white fur being stained red from the hit, and she yelled out desperately for their companion.

“Naga! Run!” Asami ordered before turning her own weapon towards the monster and firing a barrage of bullets towards it to once again garner its attention. Apparently the beast had had enough games because as it turned towards the women it lept forward with its claws outstretched, waiting for a chance to grab one of its prey. Asami stumbled backwards into the entrance just in time for the door to close, a loud thud heard on the other end of it.

Asami stared at the door helplessly as the beast banged against the metal, the sound deafening in the enclosed corridor they found themselves in. The woman was surprised the door didn’t simply break down with the sheer ferocity from the beast but she chalked that one up to good engineering.

“Open the door!” Korra yelled, crawling towards the metal door even as the monster continuously banged on it.

Asami desperately grabbed the woman and tore her back, practically wrestling Korra to keep her away.

“Korra what are you doing! That thing is going to kill us!” The heiress desperately tried to reason with the insane woman but Korra was having none of it.

“Naga! Naga is still out there! He’s going to eat her!” She cried out helplessly, continuing to fight Asami above her. Luckily, or unluckily, Korra’s minor injury gave Asami the upperhand and she managed to restrain the woman by holding her pale arms around her waist.

“Open the door now!” Korra demanded, screaming at the woman who was holding her back.

“Korra we can’t open the door it’s suicide! That thing is still trying to get to us!”

Korra quickly whipped around in Asami’s grasp and grabbed onto the heiress’ shoulders roughly. She began to shake the woman, desperate to be obeyed.

“I said open the fucking door! Open it now Asami!”

Asami’s eyes widened as Korra looked at her with such desperation it about made her listen to the unreasonable demand. Instead Asami looked around the area and noticed no other terminals present. This door was a a one way entry.

“Korra… Korra I can’t. There’s no terminal to unlock the door. We can’t get out from that way.” The heiress herself was pleading to the woman, hopelessly trying to get this woman to understand and release her.

The words made Korra stop her shaking and look around, standing up to feel around the dark area to try and find some sort of fault in the woman’s words. Asami took this opportunity to stand up herself, adding a bit of distance between them so she would not be victim to Korra’s desperation again. When Korra finally stopped searching she saw the woman visibly shake, her shoulders hunching.

“This is your fault…” Korra muttered so softly Asami almost didn’t hear it. Before she had a chance to respond Korra was turning on her, screaming out. “This is your fault! If Naga is dead it’s your fault!” Korra approached Asami with clenched fists and the vixen flinched slightly.

“Korra… I’m sorry.” The woman whispered helplessly, shrinking down as Korra grew closer. But the words weren’t the correct ones. Asami knew that. So she forced herself to redo her statement. By this time Korra was standing in front of her, her shaking worse than before. Despite her fear, Asami had this gut feeling that Korra wouldn’t strike her, no matter how angry she was.

“I am sorry, Korra. But Naga is not dead.” The woman stated sternly and this finally garnered a reaction from Korra. Her lips twisted into a scowl but her eyes sparked with what Asami could only define as hope.

“You don’t know that! You have no way of knowing!”

“Are you kidding me? Look at her fucking owner. There’s no way that dog is gonna be taken out that easily. And that fucking thing was so focused on us it’s gonna give her plenty of time to run away. We pissed it off. A lot.” Asami smirked at her statement, though it was fake. She didn’t believe her own words but if she could get Korra to believe it for the time being then it was worth it.

She could see Korra contemplate how sincere her words were. Tan fingers brushed anxiously through brown locks, her anger visibly dissipating as she gave herself more time to think.

“I can’t lose her, Asami… She’s my best friend.” Korra’s voice cracked and Asami immediately moved into action. She wasn’t sure what possessed her to suddenly wrap Korra in a protective embrace but before she knew it she could feel Korra returning the hug. Soft whimpers erupted from Korra’s mouth as she pressed her face into Asami’s shoulder and this only made the vixen squeeze her tighter.

Korra began to sob, unrestrained and without care for who saw her and Asami simply coaxed the tears out of her. Slender fingers played with the hair at the back of Korra’s head while her other hand rubbed soothingly up and down the woman’s back. Minutes passed before the wastelander composed herself, wiping at the tears that had stained her cheeks. Asami held her at half an arms length, offering a small smile to the woman.

“Feeling a little bit better?”

Korra could only nod, sniffling several times to keep from crying again. Asami’s heart broke for the woman. She never wanted to witness Korra cry such devastating tears again.

“Good. Now let’s see where you’re hurt.” Asami gestured to Korra’s body, urging the woman to show her her injuries.

Korra sat down on the concrete once more and lifted her torn pant leg. The wound beneath wasn’t too bad, a little bloody but mostly a flesh wound. Asami knelt beside her and removed the plad pullover she had been wearing since day one. Unfortunately it was not the most clean of banadages but it would have to suffice. She handed the cloth to Korra.

“Rip the sleeve off for me, please.”

“You can’t do it yourself?” Asami looked at her incredulously, raising both her eyebrows. Korra only offered a weak chuckle, beginning to rip the fabric. “Kidding… Just wanted to hear you say how strong I was.” Asami felt a sense of relief wash over her that Korra was atleast joking during their dire situation.

Once the cloth was ripped Asami began to apply it to the wound, tying it up at the end to keep it in place.

“Not the best work. But it’ll have to do until we get you somewhere better.” Asami lifted herself up and extended her hand for Korra to take. When she did Asami lifted her up, allowing the woman to adjust to the makeshift bandage on her leg.

“Ready to get out of here? This place gives me the creeps.” Korra nodded and reached behind her to the side pocket of her backpack. She whipped out a small flashlight, illuminating the area in front of them.

The women began to walk down the long corridor, Asami trifling through her own bag so she could properly reload her weapon. She didn’t know what to expect down here but she desperately hoped they could finally catch a break and make it out without any problems.

Silence filled the air between them and Asami could only stare at her feet ashamedly. Korra’s words from earlier sunk in deep. Despite how confident Asami seemed she had basically watched Naga die with her own two eyes. Yet she had the gall to lie to Korra. What would she do when Korra found out that Naga hadn’t actually made it? The thought made Asami sick to her stomach. Naga didn’t deserve to go out like that and Korra didn’t deserve to be lied to. But Asami needed her if they were going to make it out alive.

Asami bumped into Korra, not having noticed the woman had stopped. In front of them the corridor finally opened up into a large space filled with train tracks. Asami could only assume they were within the subway system of Boston.

“There’s usually maps down here. We can find our way out from there. These tunnels go all around the city.” Korra stated, her voice echoing off the walls of the empty space.

Asami didn’t respond. She was desperately trying to keep her footing with such little light available to them. She practically stumbled down onto the train tracks, missing the step down. She could hear Korra sigh above her at her mishap and Asami flushed in embarrassment. She was sure Korra wished she were down here with anyone except her. The thought made her lower her head, paying more attention to her footing this time.

“Asami.” Korra stated sternly.

“Hmm?” Asami hummed, her eyes never leaving the train tracks.

“Stay next to me. It’ll be easier to see if we’re not fighting over the light.”

Asami stopped and moments later she felt Korra slide up next to her. They bumped into each other every now and then as they continued their walk, eyeing the walls for any sort of map.

“I’m sorry for yelling at you.” Korra audibly sighed again, a frown present on her lips. “Here I am, apologizing again. I don’t know why you put up with me.”

“It’s not like I have a choice.” Asami attempted at a joke but it fell flat quickly. Korra didn’t even smile. The heiress grasped onto a tan hand and forced Korra to stop, green eyes staring at her. “Seriously Korra, do not apologize for any of that.” The woman stated sternly.

“But I-” Korra started but was abruptly caught off my Asami raising her free hand to stop her speech.

“Korra, you saved my life. Legitimately saved my life. I have no possible way of thanking you.” Green eyes desperately searched blue for any kind of recognition that the woman believed her.

“You don’t’ need to thank me. I told you I was going to keep you safe. But if you insist on repaying me…” The woman trailed and a cocky grin appeared on her face. This woman seriously had a one track mind.

Asami released her hand and rolled her eyes. “What do you want? A strip show in the subway?” Mused the heiress, clearly unimpressed.

“Well no that wasn’t what I was going to ask. But if you really want to.” Korra lifted her eyebrows excitedly.

“What do you want, Korra?”

That grin of hers only grew, clearly devious. “Let me call you the nickname the rest of the time down here.”

Asami raised her eyebrow questioningly. “Which nickname? Molerat?” Korra shook her head. “Princess?” Korra shook her head once more and Asami sighed frustratedly. “Just tell me.”

“Salami.” Korra stated blatantly, her eyes sparkling in the dim light.

“... I’d almost prefer the strip show.” At that both the women shared a small chuckle and Asami shook her head dissapointedly. “Fine. But only while we’re down here.”

Korra pumped her fist in the air victoriously and Asami decided that if something this simple could raise her spirits like this, she might even let the woman do it on the outside too. They continued their walk once more but Asami held tight to Korra’s hand. It was only to keep herself steady, ofcourse. Atleast that’s what she told herself.

“I’m still sorry for yelling at you, Salami. But don’t ever thank me for helping you. I decided it’s something I want to do. It’s not a chore.”

“Speaking of helping. Where did the other three go? Are they okay?” Asami couldn’t imagine they were in any real danger. She had distracted the monster, afterall.

“When you ran off me and Naga were the only ones close enough to follow. When the deathclaw tried to go through the alley he knocked some of the buildings down behind us and they couldn’t follow. They’ll just meet us in Goodneighbor.”

Asami’s jaw dropped at the name and she involuntarily squeezed Korra’s hand tighter. “That was a deathclaw?”

“Yep.” Korra ended the word with a _ _pop!__.

“Holy shit… I can see where they get their name.”

“Yeah they’re tough, mean and big. As you saw just shooting it once doesn’t really do anything except piss it off. Pistols won’t really do anything to it. We need some bigger guns to handle him. But I don’t think any of us were expecting one in the city. They don’t usually come to cramped places like this.”

“Then why was it here?”

“My guess? Some idiot raider gang was trying to tame it or lock it up so they had some leverage over the smaller settlements. Unfortunately for them one of those suckers isn’t gonna be caged so easily.”

“So… was the guy that got eaten? Was he a raider?”

“From the looks if it he was.” When Korra saw Asami flinch she quickly added. “Asami don’t feel bad for him. Those are bad, bad people. The worst of the worst. They deserve a death like that.” Korra’s voice lilted slightly with anger and Asami decided not to push the subject any further. As much as she hated to see someone die like that, if Korra said they deserve it, she’d believe her.

They fell into a comfortable silence once more, their eyes trailing after the light that swung around the tunnel. Asami wasn’t seeing anything remotely similar to a map, but that was when the idea popped in her head.

“Hey Korra, why would a map be in the middle of the tunnels? Nobody would be down here. Wouldn’t it be near one of the exits?”

“When people came down here for construction they would use the maps to navigate. So they’re rare, but they’re definitely here.”

“Guess I won’t question the survival specialist anymore.”

Korra only chuckled at this. She jerked Asami’s hand towards her body and when the heiress practically fell into her she released her hand to instead wrap her arm around Asami’s slim waist. “You can ask all the questions you want babe. What else do we have to do down here?”

“Babe? Really?”

“Get use to it Salami. I get this feeling I’m gonna be calling you that a lot more when we get out of here.”

Asami scoffed, attempting to step away from the woman. The hold on her waist only got tighter in her attempt. “Has anyone ever told you you’re the cockiest shit alive?”

“Mm kind of. They usually add sexy somewhere in there.”

“Definitely the cockiest shit alive.” At the end of her statement she felt Korra’s hand slowly slide downwards from her waist and over the round of her ass. Asami quickly grabbed the hand, forcing it to remain where it was a bit higher on her hip. She shot the woman next to her a glare.

“Seriously? You want to do this here?” She couldn’t fathom how Korra’s mind worked.

“Come on, Salami. Why not? It’s dark, we’re finally alone.”

“And you have a bloody leg and we’re trapped in the subway with who knows what. Not exactly a romantic setting, Korra.”

“I was just trying to finish what we started.” The woman murmured as she turned her head and pressed her lips to Asami’s exposed shoulder. The feeling caused goosebumps to rise over the woman’s arm.

“Korra…” The woman started but she had to end her statement to bite her lip as Korra gently nipped at her flesh. The feeling was far more pleasurable than it should have been. Warm lips began to trail further up her shoulder and into the crook of her neck, the vixens skin boiling where the lips had made contact so far.

“Korra.” Asami stated more sternly but punctuated the ending of the name with a small gasp as she felt teeth scrape gently against her neck. Asami immediately bit into her lower lip again, basking in the sweet sensation of this tan woman lavishing her neck. Asami slid one of her hands upwards, tangling her fingers in the back of Korra’s hair. This must have encouraged Korra to go further. Asami could feel the hand on her hip once again lower, sliding over her ass where it stayed this time.

“Mm.” Korra growled into the woman’s neck, an involuntary shiver trailing up Asami’s spine at the sound. She could barely contain a whimper when Korra grasped her ass firmly in her hand, but this also kicked Asami into motion. As much as she would have liked to continue, there was a place and time for these things. This was not the place or time.

Asami grasped the back of Korra’s hair and pulled gently, forcing the younger woman from her neck. Korra groaned loudly, clearly displeased with not being able to continue.

“Korra.” Asami stated again once she had caught her breath. “Can I ask you something?”

One of Korra’s eyebrows lifted quizzically. “Now? Really?” The heiress only nodded. With a heavy sigh Korra caved. “Fine.”

“Do you resort to this kind of thing when you’re nervous or scared?” Asami intended for the question to be innocent but she could see Korra begin to scowl, clearly taking offense.

“What are you talking about? That doesn’t make sense.”

“Sure it does. Whenever you get nervous or uncomfortable you resort to humor and something sexual. Atleast from what I’ve noticed.”

“You’ve only known me for a few days and you’re jumping to conclusions like that?” She felt Korra remove her hand from her butt but Asami didn’t let her go. Instead a frown graced red lips.

“Korra, please don’t get mad. I wasn’t saying this to upset you. It was just a general observation. If you don’t want to answer, you don’t have to.”

At that Korra sighed, her defensive posture loosening up once again. “No, no. It’s fine. I’m not offended. I just get kinda bent out of shape when people bring up some of my weird quirks.”

“Weird quirks? Korra I literally can not speak when I’m scared. Don’t even mention quirks to me.” The pale beauty offered a smile which was returned. Asami untangled her fingers from Korra’s hair and urged for the duo to keep walking, continuing their journey further into the tunnels. “It was just something I’ve been meaning to ask. It’s like physical contact and humor are your fall back when things aren’t going your way.”

“I guess you could be right. It’s just something second nature to me. I never really noticed. I’m actually surprised you noticed.”

“I’m pretty observant. Especially since I’ve been the victim of your harassment for the past few days.”

Korra guffawed loudly, looking at the heiress through the darkness with an expression of disbelief. “Victim?! Oh get out of here. As if you aren’t loving every second of this attention.”

“What part of ‘Korra, stop. Not right now.’ did you not get out of the past few days?” Asami asked with a hint of a chuckle. Ofcourse in the beginning these advances were unwanted. But now it would surprise her more if Korra didn’t touch her for no reason.

When Korra didn’t respond Asami lifted her hand and ruffled her hair playfully, like some child after a sports game. “I’m kidding, Korra. I’ve gotten use to it. The tame stuff doesn’t bother me anymore.” Korra ducked away from the onslaught on her hair, grumbling incoherently.

“What was that, shorty? I can’t hear you all the way down there.” Asami pressed the woman to get a reaction out of her, grinning wickedly. If Korra wanted to have fun with her Asami would return the favor with her own form of fun.

“If my leg wasn’t killing me I’d kick your ass.”

Asami only laughed loudly, though the laughter was cut short when her foot caught on a loose bolt. She stumbled forward, tripping up just enough to fall on her side onto the railroad tracks. The fall wasn’t too painful, mind for the couple of scrapes, but regardless Asami simply laid there and groaned in her embarrassment. Next to her she could hear Korra obnoxious laughter ring off the walls.

“Karma is a bitch, Salami.” Korra announced through her laughter, moving her way over to the heiress and helping her back to her feet.

“Shut up.” Asami shot back but wrapped her arm around Korra’s. Next time she goes down she won’t be going down alone. “Moving on. Since we have nothing but time on our hands, why don’t you tell me about yourself Korra. You basically know my entire life, it’s only fair.”

“Hmm. Talking about myself isn’t really a habit of mine. Why don’t you ask questions and I answer them? That’ll be easier.”

“Alright then. Tell me about your family.”

“I’m an only child. I’m from the way south of the Commonwealth. My dad is chief of a settlement down there, but we prefer to call ourselves a tribe. We don’t really rely on the machines like most of these people do. We’re more like hunters living off of the land.”

“Interesting. I can’t imagine people being able to survive like that.”

“It wasn’t easy. We were practically on our own out there except for the occasional merchant. But we managed. Still do, as a matter of fact.”

“Why’d you leave?”

“I wanted to travel more. See more of the world. Unfortunately I didn’t make it far. I wasn’t nearly as prepared as I should have been. I was only 15.” Korra chuckled mournfully. “I barely made it to Air Temple alive. You just can’t make it on your own out here. It’s too dangerous. And it’ll probably drive you crazy. But that’s where I met Mako and Bolin. And I decided to stay there and make a life.”

“Do you get to see your parents anymore?”

“We write frequently. I haven’t had the chance to go and see them since I left but I write so they know I’m alive. It’s a long way down there so it’s not an easy trip to make.”

Asami nodded her head silently, ingesting the information. Since Korra had never mentioned her parents she assumed they had passed.

“Well, the fact that you’re an only child certainly explains your personality.”

“Umm what the hell is that suppose to mean?”

“Oh nothing.” Asami stated with a small giggle. She hadn’t meant anything by the statement but working Korra up into a tizzy was far more comical than walking in silence.

“I swear once this leg is healed up you’re in for an ass whipping.”

“Sure sure.” Asami mused absent-mindedly, paying no attention to Korra’s idle threats. A new question popped in her mind but she wasn’t sure how to ask it without seeming meddlesome.

“Soo… How many girls have you dated before?” Asami wasn’t actually interested in knowing the number but was hoping this would ease them into the real topic of interest.

“Oh Salami. Numbers don’t mean a thing. You’re the only girl I see.” Korra gave Asami’s exposed shoulder another nip, though this one was chaste and playful. Asami could only groan in response. When Asami didn’t verbally respond Korra continued. “I’ve only dated 2. And I mean romantically.”

“Why so few? You seem like a lady killer.”

“I’m not meaning to brag but… you’re not wrong. I just don’t like to emotionally invest myself. It’s a bit of a hassle. It’s a lot easier when nobody expects things out of you.” Asami grew quiet at the revelation. Korra’s words had struck a chord deep within her. They were painful, despite how nonchalantly they were thrown out there. But atleast Asami knew now that there didn’t seem to be a future for them. That would make naming their relationship a lot easier.

When Asami didn’t ask any more questions Korra continued. “The first girl I dated was about 5 years ago. The second one I dated was a little after the first break up and that was what really fucked me up. We moved in together in DC but that was my first mistake. A lot of emotional trauma from that one. So I decided I’d just leave emotions out of the equation.”

This seemed to be working in Asami’s favor, her interest piquing once more. “What happened? If you don’t mind me asking.” Korra remained silent for a moment and Asami worried she may have just stepped on a landmine. It really wasn’t any of her business.

“To make a long story short,” Korra finally began, “She was pretty emotionally abusive. Just always making me feel like crap. She wasn’t a good person at all. But she wasn’t like that at the beginning. She was always looking out for me and helping me out. But after about a year she just kinda turned into the polar opposite. Not sure why.” Korra’s shoulders bobbed in a nonchalant shrug, but Asami could tell this story was taking an emotional toll on the woman, minor as it was.

“So what happened after that?” Asami pressed further, her own selfish curiosity getting the best of her.

“Well at about the 2 year mark I finally got the balls to stand up for myself. She was always gone for days at a time and just cut me off emotionally and physically from her life. I didn’t want to question it because I was worried I’d make her upset. But it was at that point that I dreaded her coming home more than I dreaded her leaving. That’s when I decided to end things. She came home one night and I told her it was time to break it off. She got pissed, started yelling and throwing things at me. Then she basically admitted she had been cheating on me with whoever she could find while she was gone. Made me really feel like trash. So I left DC and started living at Air Temple. Best decision I ever made.”

Asami had been listening silently, her own heart hurting for the emotional turmoil the poor girl had gone through. She only offered a supportive squeeze to the woman’s bicep. “Oh, Korra.” She stated softly, though she wasn’t trying to take pity on the woman, she was attempting to convey her feelings about the situation.

“Please don’t. I don’t want your sympathies. I didn’t tell you for that reason. I’m over it.”

“I’m not trying to pity you. It just blows my mind that someone could do that to you. You may be a pain in the ass but you didn’t deserve that. Hell, she might be the reason why you’re such a pain.” Asami grinned and nudged the woman’s ribs playfully. Thankfully she earned a chuckle.

“Yeah, she probably is. I definitely know she’s the reason why I don’t want anything to do with people.”

“You know, you shouldn’t give up on relationships because of something that happened so long ago.” When she felt Korra tense up in her grasp she quickly tightened her hold on the tan woman’s arm. “Wait, let me explain. Please.” When Korra finally relaxed again she continued. “I’m not trying to tell you how you should be. It’s honestly none of my business. Just let me think aloud. All I was trying to say is eventually everybody wants to settle down. Ofcourse that depends on the person when it happens. But I guess I’d hate to see you miss out on the chance.”

Beside her Korra began to chuckle, shaking her head slowly. “Look at you being passionate. Don’t get all emotional on me, Sato. Let’s remember you don’t have any dating experience under your belt.”

“Well yes but that’s not because of some emotional trauma that I had. It’s not as if I hadn’t given my future any thought. Plus I was limited to very few suitors in the vault. But now that I’m out here the possibilities are endless. I’ve been giving dating some thought. When all of this blows over I might actually give it a try. If I live, ofcourse.”

“Oh really? And do you have somebody in mind that tickles your fancy, princess? Maybe that fat guy in the bar, hmm?” Korra began to prod at Asami’s ribs with her finger and the heiress couldn’t suppress her giggles at the ticklish feeling. She desperately wanted to pry away from Korra but the thought of tripping again forced her to stay.

“Stoppp!” She groaned through her laughter and when the tickling finally ceased she took a deep breath, her face twisted in a grimace. “It doesn’t really matter who I’ve thought about it with. What I’m trying to relay to you is that even someone like me has thought about it, so maybe you shouldn’t give up. I’m not saying go out and find a girlfriend tomorrow. Just trying to encourage you to give it some thought.” Asami shrugged her shoulders, hoping she hadn’t managed to tick the woman off. Her explanation might have been a bit overboard.

A long silence passed over the duo and it seemed as if they had returned to their original mission of finding a map and getting out of there. They had been walking for a decent amount of time yet there didn’t seem to be any end in sight. Asami began to think up a new plan of attack for them when Korra broke her from her train of thought.

“So you have been thinking about dating somebody?” Asami stared incredulously at the woman beside her. After all the talking she had done and the long silence that followed THAT was what she had took from her entire speech? This certainly seemed to be deja vu.

“I’ll take your silence as a yes.” Korra’s voice had dropped a bit growing bitter with each word. Asami could only sigh in response. How did they get on this topic?

“Korra-”

“Is it the vault guy? Do you miss him?” Korra hadn’t even spared a glance at Asami but the heiress figured it was only fair for her to answer questions this time.

“No, Korra. It’s not him. Maybe back when I was in the vault I thought about it. He… He could give me a perfect life. I know he could. Safety, security in the relationship. Kids. I know I could trust him. And to a certain extent I do miss him. He’s the only person I’ve ever been intimate with. But I just can’t imagine my life with him. I didn’t feel like I could be myself around him. And he was so serious all the time there really wasn’t any joking around or having fun.”

“Well, who are you thinking about dating then?” Korra pestered and Asami couldn’t help but eye the woman suspiciously.

“Why are you so interested?”

After a plausible pause Korra bobbed her shoulders in a shrug. “I’m not really. Just trying to make conversation.”

Asami could easily see through the woman’s lie. She definitely wore her emotions on her sleeve. That was one thing she enjoyed about Korra. Atleast she was easy to read.

“Well if you really must know, remember those few days when we weren’t talking?” Korra nodded slowly in response, finally looking at the heiress. “Well I met this pretty cute guy and we hit it off right away.” Asami couldn’t suppress her grin. Ofcourse she was completely lying but she wanted to see Korra’s reaction to the statement.

Korra’s sudden stop forced Asami to come to an abrupt halt. The shorter woman turned to face the heiress completely, a noticeable scowl on her face. “What? Who?” She demanded. Asami only lifted her eyebrow.

“Why does that matter?”

“So when we get back I can kick his fucking ass.” She stated firmly.

Asami crossed her arms over her chest, a knowing smirk on her lips. Korra was definitely the jealous type. There was no hiding that now.

“Now why would you want to do that?”

Korra’s blue eyes widened and even Asami could notice in the darkness that surrounded them. The woman clearly realized her mistake and attempted to backtrack, though she fumbled over her own words. “That’s- Uh because he shouldn’t be trying to distract you while we’re on this mission. We need complete focus.” Asami could have laughed at how absurd that response was.

“Wow, you sound like Mako. But really? I wouldn’t be doing anything with him until after everything was settled.”

“I still want to kick his ass.” Korra mumbled, turning away from the woman to continue walking. Asami quickly grasped her arm and began walking beside her.

“Why Korra?”

“I don’t know, alright!” The wastelander proclaimed loudly, startling Asami with the volume of her voice. With a heavy sigh Korra repeated herself, her voice softer. “I just don’t know. I told you… you drive me fucking crazy.” Asami couldn’t help her small smile. This woman was so oblivious to her own emotions it was almost adorable.

“It’s fine Korra, I was only teasing you. It’s kind of cute how protective you are.” Asami chose her words carefully. As much as she wanted to rub in Korra’s face how jealous she was being it would clearly put a damper on the mood.

Korra didn’t respond verbally but Asami could feel a shift in her demeanor, more relaxed and less uptight. Asami couldn’t squash the butterflies in her stomach. She shouldn’t have liked Korra being jealous so much but she couldn’t help her own feelings.

“Finally!” Korra exclaimed loudly, shocking Asami out of her own thoughts. Green eyes flickered to where the flashlight was hovering over a map ingrained into the wall. The women hastened their pace, eager to find their way out. As nice as their time alone had been Asami wanted nothing more than to be above ground and be greeted by muggy wasteland air again.

Asami’s eyes narrowed as she adjusted her vision to the picture in front of her. From what she could tell there was an exit not too far from here.

“Wow, we’re in luck.” Korra lifted her finger and began to trail the roads of the map. “If we go up through this entryway, we’ll only be about 30 minutes from Goodneighbor. So I’d say we’re about another 20 minutes from the nearest exit.” Asami could have screamed out in joy at the revelation. Another 20 minutes was nothing.

“How’s your leg? Think you’ll be able to manage alright?” She could barely contain her own excitement but she was forced to remember there was an injured party with her.

“I’ll be fine, Salami. Once we get to Goodneighbor I’ll get it fixed up.”

“Fine. But if you need to stop you better let me know. I don’t think I can carry you.”

“Alright alright. Let’s just get going.” Korra grasped Asami’s hand and began to walk with a new determination. Their pace had picked up and if not for the light in front of them Asami was sure they could have tripped their entire way. They walked in comfortable silence for nearly 10 minutes. There wasn’t much else that needed to be said between them. They were more focused on their escape from these tunnels. That’s why when Korra stopped abruptly Asami couldn’t keep the irritation from her voice.

“Korra, why are we stopping?” Before the heiress could pester her further with questions a tan hand slipped up to cover her mouth. She mumbled into the hand annoyedly, her eyes narrowing dangerously. She did not like to be silenced. She reached up and ripped the hand from her mouth, barely able to keep from lashing out at the woman.

“Shh!” Korra whispered urgently, blue eyes not even looking at Asami despite addressing her. Asami fought her anger and looked in the direction Korra was peering. Green eyes flickered over the debris curiously. There wasn’t anything out of the ordinary. Just some rubble and a deteriorated train cart. She couldn’t understand where the woman’s hesitance was coming from. The sudden darkness that engrossed them by the flashlight flicking off caused goosebumps to form on Asami’s arms. She was not comfortable being in the dark like this.

Before she could question Korra’s actions she was grasped by the wrist and forced to follow Korra to the nearest wall. When they reached their destination Korra leaned forward and whispered so softly Asami could barely understand what she was saying. “Please. Whatever you do, remain absolutely silent.” The woman’s voice was laced with what Asami could only describe as fear. As badly as the heiress wanted answers she knew anything that could scare Korra was big trouble.

Asami could barely see through the dark as Korra began to walk along the wall, using her hand to keep her steady against the structure. Asami mimicked her movements, her eyes flicking towards the box car. The destroyed vehicle covered the entirety of the tunnel, there was no getting pass it without going through it.

Korra inched her way inside of the metal monster, the floor creaking slightly with the adjusted weight. Despite how low the sound was it was nearly deafening in the silence of the tunnels. Korra froze, as if waiting for something, then continued moments later when nothing happened.

Asami easily repeated her actions As Korra waited on the other side of the box car exit, her arms outstretched as if waiting to catch Asami. The vixen didn’t understand the gesture until she suddenly lost her footing, not expecting the sudden step. She couldn’t see it in the darkness and fell forward, grasping out at anything to catch her fall. Her fingers managed to grasp onto a metal handle but the piece broke off from its original structure due to age and rust. The only thing that kept Asami from falling face first into the ground was Korra’s awaiting arms. Unfortunately that didn’t stop the metal piece from flinging to the ground, metal clanking against cement and echoing down the once eerily quiet tunnel.

Korra’s eyes widened into large, blue discs, her grip on Asami tight enough to nearly snap the woman in half. Thankfully Korra set her down but immediately drew her weapon, her eyes flickering around the darkness. Asami drew her own weapon, her body taking on a defensive posture. And then it was heard. A sound Asami could only compare to a deep gurgling was heard at the opposite end of the box car. Then that sound was followed by one then two more, all sounding in a different, gurgling pitch.

Korra flicked her flashlight on and handed it to Asami. The heiress pointed the source of light in the direction the gurgling was coming from and her heart raced at the sight.

A pink, melted hand was seen grasping at the dirt, clawing at it to move the body that was attached to it across the ground, or lack thereof. The creature appeared almost humanly, except its flesh was completely melted, it’s face disfigured into a grotesque snarl. The one Asami could see did not have a lower body but continued to claw desperately towards them. Asami’s hand began to shake, the light becoming unsteady in her grasp.

“Focus, Asami!” Korra ordered, attempting to snap the heiress from her fearful haze. The words did little to help the woman but it did snap her to attention. Asami took a deep breath and held it, willing her hand to steady. The shaking slowed, but not by much.

Another gurgling noise had Asami flicking the light to a new area a few feet to the left of the monster crawling. A new one appeared but this one had legs. It was hunched over its own body with a brown cloth covering whatever disgusting skin was on its bones. The golden eyes of the creature focused solely on Asami, apparently distracted by the light in her hand. Just as the creature released a disgusting, throaty growl a shot rang out next to her and the creature flung backwards. The woman flinched away from the noise. Being in an enclosed space caused the ringing to be excessively painful and it took every inch of her willpower not to hunch over and cover her ears.

Another growl, louder this time, sounded from inside of the train cart. A near replica of the creature moments before climbed through the shattered window of the train cart, falling to the ground in a heap. Apparently the fall did little to hinder the monster because it took mere seconds for it to lunge forward, sprinting at the two women. Another shot rang out beside her but this one apparently did not hit the mark. Asami watched the creature flinch backwards but continued its sprint forward. Apparently the bullet only knicked it in the shoulder and pain wasn’t registering within its feral mind.

Asami lifted her own weapon, noticing the creature was heading directly towards her instead of her companion. Despite how broken its body seemed, the fiend could move remarkably fast. Just as Asami lined up her shot the creature lept forward, its hands outstretched as if it were going to grasp the woman. Asami, thrown off by the sudden movement, shot blindly at the monster. She closed her eyes, praying her mark had hit. Another two shots sounded beside her and a thud resounded in front of her. When Asami mustered enough courage to open her eyes she found the fleshy monster lying in a heap a few feet in front of her, unmoving.

The only noises that could be heard were the sounds from the remaining creature and Asami’s own heavy breathing. She was so focused on the body in front of her she didn’t even notice Korra moving to the final fiend and squashing the remainder with a swift stomp of her boot. The sound of a skull cracking about had Asami bent over in her own heap. It was a sound she never wanted to hear again.

“Asami.” Korra stood in front of the woman now, grasping onto cold, pale arms supportively to try and shake the woman from her shock. At the contact Asami finally gasped loudly, her eyes searching Korra’s desperately for some kind of safety, certainty, anything that could explain to her they were okay.

“Asami, are you okay?” Korra asked, searching the woman up and down to check for any kinds of sign that she had been hurt. Asami simply nodded her head. Whatever time Korra was spending checking on her she would rather be using getting out of this hell hole.

Korra heaved a sigh of relief, holstering her gun. “Before you ask. Those were ghouls. Feral ghouls to be exact. Fucking disgusting.” Korra spat on the ground, making her distaste for these things known. Asami’s eyes flickered downwards at the creature once more before she began to walk away from the corpse. She couldn’t look at it any longer. The fact these things were once humans caused her gut to clench. She felt like she would vomit, knowing people were lying dead in front of her.

“Asami.” Korra’s voice echoed behind her. It was soft and delicate. Asami’s distraught demeanor must have been noticeable but she didn’t want to talk about it. She wanted nothing more than to leave.

The vixen twisted around, the light moving with her to flash on her friend. “Korra, can we please just-” A fleshy body suddenly appeared in the doorway of the train cart behind Korra. It’s entire body was exposed, no cloth hiding the gruesome appearance. The entire body was disfigured, bones contorted in ways that made them protrude from the melted skin that covered its body.

Asami’s mouth moved like a fish caught out of water and Asami was once again found to be muted by her own fear. Korra’s eyebrow lifted, curious as to what would be causing the woman to suddenly be acting so strangely. It wasn’t until the fiend stood at its full height behind Korra that Asami forced herself to speak. It was no longer about herself. She would never let her friend be attacked in front of her.

“Korra!” The vixen finally shouted, the sound immediately alerting the other woman to danger. The tan woman turned just in time for the creature to leap on top of her, both falling to the ground in a heap of limbs.

“Agghh!” Korra’s cries of anguish snapped the heiress into action, immediately rushing forward to try and assist. But what could she do without getting in the way? She could try and pry the creature off but that would simply put her in danger instead. There was no way she could fight it with her bare hands.

As she stumbled forward she fell on her hands and knees, tripping up on the various debris that littered the floor. She could see the creature snapping its jaws desperately at Korra’s face, keeping the strong woman pinned beneath it. Korra was just barely keeping it from sinking its teeth into her by pinning her forearm against its throat, keeping just far enough so it couldn’t bite. Unfortunately due to her position Korra was unable to draw her weapon.

Asami took the situation into account before dropping the flashlight and lifting her own weapon with both hands. She couldn’t suppress her shaking but aimed the iron sight of the weapon towards the creature regardless. She knew she wouldn’t miss from this range but hesitated anyways. No matter how she looked at this monster she couldn’t remove the fact that this thing was once a person like herself. Her finger hung over the trigger but she couldn’t manage the strength to move that last inch.

“Asami!” Korra cried out desperately, her own strength faltering as her muscles screamed out in pain. She wouldn’t be able to keep the position up much longer. At the cry of her name Asami’s finger flicked backwards, the bullet bursting from the barrel of her gun and knocking the creature back as the projectile pierced it in the head. The fiend fell limp beside Korra, the tunnel once again taking on a silence Asami never would have thought she’d miss.

The gun clattered to the ground as Asami lost her grip, her eyes wide as she stared at the lifeless body laying in front of her. She didn’t register the sound of Korra getting up or calling out to her until she was physically touched, flinching away from whatever had grabbed her.

“Asami? Are you okay? Talk to me!” Korra demanded, holding onto the vixens shoulders tightly. Asami’s entire body was shaking, her mind registering the events that just took place. She replayed the bullet penetrating the ghouls head over and over in her mind, until the point her body finally reacted.

She wretched away from Korra’s powerful grasp and hunched over herself, vomit projecting from her mouth and splattering on the floor beneath her. All the nerves, the agony and the disgust had finally caught up to her and she heaved out the poison from her body. She felt her hair being pulled back while a hand rubbed up and down her spine. Despite how comforting the touch was meant to be she could only focus on the fact that she, Asami Sato, had killed a person.

The thought forced another bout of vomit from her mouth, heaving out the food from earlier in the day. Even when her stomach was completely empty she continued to dry heave, only managing to stay off the ground by sheer willpower. Tears soaked her cheeks as she cried, not only for her physical toll from vomiting but of her mournful thoughts. She wailed loudly, shouting her despair to the silent tunnel.

“I’m a killer!” The announcement forced another bout of dry heaving. Her body had never reacted this way to death before. Apparently it only applied when she was the cause of it. Another loud sob wracked her already weak body but thankfully she felt arms pull her from her position on her hands and knees and into a warm, protective embrace.

“Shh. It’s okay, Asami.” Korra shushed her soothingly quiet in her ear, the hand stroking her back never ceasing in its motion.

Asami could only grasp onto the other woman tightly, her hands grabbing the front of Korra’s shirt in a desperate attempt to still her shaking.

“Korra… Korra I’m a murderer!” Asami continued to yell out her internal rampage, her face sinking into Korra’s shoulder as a fresh wave of sobs tormented her body.

“No, Asami. Shhh.” Whispered Korra, her voice remaining gentle and calm. “Asami, look at me. Please look at me.” Korra never forced the vixen to look up from her shoulder. Instead she waited patiently for Asami to move at her own pace.

A minute later Asami’s sobs had turned into quiet whimpers, the physical toll on her body no longer allowing her to sob so desperately. She slowly lifted her head, her normally sparkling eyes filled with grief and bloodshot from the amount of tears that spilled from her eyes. What she saw was a strong, gentle pair of baby blue eyes looking back at her.

“Asami, you’re not a killer.” Korra’s voice was stern but still delicate. At the mention of the word Asami could feel her tears once again beginning to fill her eyes. “That thing is not a human. It’s a monster who hurts people like us.” The woman attempted to soothe the heart-wrenched vixen but did little to quell her pain.

“But-but they WERE humans, Korra! What if… what if they were girls like us? It wasn’t their fault!” Asami lowered her head in shame, closing her eyes tightly as a fresh stream of tears cascaded down her cheeks and littered the dry ground beneath her. This time Korra didn’t allow Asami her time to recuperate. Strong hands grasped wet cheeks which forced green eyes to open, once again meeting sapphire orbs.

“Asami. You saved my life.” Asami’s breath hitched, her eyes widening as she searched Korra’s face for some sort of doubt or deceit. She found none. “If you hadn’t done that, it would have killed me. It would have torn me apart and I wouldn’t be here with you right now.” Her voice had grown softer, as if the situation had finally sunk in for her. Without warning strong arms wrapped around Asami’s neck and pulled her into a tight hug. The gesture relayed all the emotion Korra needed Asami to feel. Hope for their situation. Pride in the vault-dweller for her actions. Relief that for now, they were no longer in danger. And finally, infinite gratitude for saving her.

Asami could feel herself quickly winding down from her emotional turmoil. Sure, this feeling of dread will never leave her. And if faced with this situation again, she may or may not be able to pull the trigger. But for now she basked in Korra’s words of comfort. She had saved Korra’s life. She did what needed to be done for them to survive this mess.

Her body completely melted in Korra’s protective embrace, her crying eventually quieting down into pathetic whimpers. After what felt like an eternity in Korra’s arms she finally managed to back herself up just enough to look at Korra again. The women stared silently into one another eyes, searching their deep depths for some sort of sign, an indication of any kind that what they were doing was crossing any lines. When neither hinted at any kind of doubt Korra offered the paler woman an encouraging smile. The sight forced Asami to return the smile, that goofy, lop-sided grin contagious in itself.

“Come on, let’s get out of here. Can you walk? I’d carry you but ya know… busted leg and all.” Asami only chuckled quietly and rose with Korra, using the woman as leverage to keep her legs steady. When she was certain she could walk on her own she took to holding Korra’s arm once more and the women continued their trek deeper into the tunnel.

They passed the next 10 minutes in silence. With the newfound fact that ghouls were lurking about neither wanted to risk alerting their unwelcomed guests to their presence. Thankfully the duo made it the rest of the way without further incident. The sight of a double door nearly had the women screaming in enthusiasm, choosing to run to their exit rather than taking their steps carefully. Nothing could keep them from their freedom, including the padlock that sealed the door shut, which Korra busted easily with the butt of her gun.

The women flung the doors open victoriously, bright light flooding their vision and warming their skins. In front of them was yet another long staircase and Asami grasped onto Korra’s waist impatiently and led them up the stairs. Thankfully Korra’s limp was not too hindering and they reached the top of the stairs in the matter of a minute.

“We made it.” Asami whispered more to herself than her companion. For some reason being caught in a dark tunnel had heightened her sense of dread. She supposed it had something to do with being locked within a confined space and how it reminded her too much of her home, minus the ghouls. Her eyes flickered anxiously along the destroyed road, attempting to gauge where they were located and if she recognized anything from hours prior.

“Oh god it feels so good to be out!” Korra exclaimed loudly, uncaring of who or what might be lurking about.

“Asami… you’re my hero.” At the declaration Asami couldn’t contain her smile, recognizing her own words that she had claimed multiple times during her visit to the Commonwealth. What she didn’t expect was for a tan hand to slither up her cheek and force her head to turn and meet a pair of azure eyes. Before Asami had the chance to assess why Korra had moved her head she felt a pair of deliciously smooth lips press against her own.

Green eyes widened in shock, unable to fathom what was happening, but it took only a second for Asami’s body to register what was occurring; she was kissing her. Kissing Korra. And if the sparks that jolted through her body had anything to say for it, this couldn’t have felt more right.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> For those of you who were going insane. You're welcome.


	13. Welcome to Goodneighor

“Asami!” Before the heiress could register her own name she was suddenly swept up in a bruising hug, her lungs no longer able to expand with the amount of pressure being squeezed on her torso.

“O-Opal.” She coughed out, indicating to the woman if this kept up much longer she would be too passed out to enjoy their reunion. The younger woman ignored her best friends complaints for a few moments before finally loosening her grip, though the onyx-haired vixen remained in her embrace.

“Oh god Asami! I was so scared when you two didn’t show up right away! And that thing chased you…” The sudden crack in the younger woman’s voice had the vixen smiling. She hated to see her best friend torn up about her being gone, but she was glad for the reminder that she cared.

“We’re okay, Opal. I promise.” The younger woman sniffled once before her face twisted from hope filled sadness into anger.

“You idiot! What do you think you’re doing trying to take that thing on? You could have been killed!” The passerbys shot glances in the womens direction, their curiosity getting the best of them. Apparently Opal had no regard for the people around them.

“It was coming at you, Opal. I couldn’t just let that happen in front of me. Besides, we’re all here, right? And in one piece. Well, for the most part.” Asami glanced in Korra’s direction, noticing the woman was being fussed over by Mako and Bolin. The two met gazes briefly and shared knowing smiles with one another, both wearing a faint blush on their cheeks. Lucky for Korra hers was not nearly as prominent as Asami’s.

“What the hell are you smiling at?” Her friend inquired, forcing Asami to return her attention back to her friend. When Opal glanced in the direction Asami had been facing her anger morphed into curious interest, eyeing her friend suspiciously. “Well well, what do we have here?”

Asami’s blush intensified immediately at the teasing tone in her friends voice. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“Oh don’t play that shit with me, Salami. You two had all that time by yourself. I wonder what you did to occupy it.” Opal’s eyebrows shot upwards suggestively but the agonizing reminder brought back memories that were briefly forgotten thanks to Korra.

Asami’s previously red face paled immediately, her eyes dropping as she recalled the events that took place in the tunnels. Her friend noticed immediately, backtracking on her statement.

“Asami, what happened in there? Did she hurt you?” Despite the tenderness laced in the words Asami could immediately pick the protectiveness in her friends tone. If Asami didn’t respond correctly she could see Opal taking advantage of the weakened Korra and beating her to the brink of death.

Asami shook her head desperately, both responding to her friend and willing the painful memories from her mind. “No. No, not at all. She wouldn’t hurt me. It was.. We just.. it was hard. To get back here. And I missed you.” Green eyes locked with one another and Opal seemed to accept the response, hugging Asami tightly once again. The heiress felt so safe in that moment, like nothing could pry her friend from her side.

“Opal! Asami! We’re gonna take Korra inside. You two alright?” Bolin shouted over to them. Apparently the trio had made it to the gates without them noticing.

“Coming!” Opal shouted in return and glanced at Asami one more time. “You good to go?” Asami offered a smile to her friend and nodded, walking beside the woman to catch up to the rest of their group.

As they approached Korra extended her arm outwards to Asami and the heiress slid beneath the strong appendage, wrapping her own slim arm around Korra’s waist to offer support.

“Thanks ‘Sams. My leg is killing me.”

“You were walking just fine a second ago.” Bolin noted but received a piercing glare in response from the tan woman.

“Yeah well now it’s killing me. So shut up and grab the door.” Asami could only chuckle quietly, jabbing her fingers gently into Korra’s side to tickle her.

“Be nice to him.” Asami murmured through Korra’s quiet chuckling.

“Make me.” Korra purred softly into Asami’s ear once she managed to control her laughter. The seductive tone along with the breath tickling her ear caused an involuntary shiver to run up her spine. Asami could only mumble incoherently in response, walking through the doors of Goodneighbor as Bolin held them open.

The sight in front of her was not nearly as breathtaking as Diamond City had been. It looked more like people took undamaged parts of prewar Boston and simply built a wall around it. Not to mention the people here had a completely different air about them. They seemed more edgy in both appearance and personality.

“Before we get too far, I should probably tell you something Asami.” The declaration had Asami glancing at Korra curiously. That didn’t sound like any good news. “So I told you about feral ghouls, right? The ones back in the tunnel?” At the mention of the creatures Asami swallowed down the nervous lump in her throat but nodded. “Well those aren’t the only kinds of ghouls around. Goodneighbor-”

“Well look what the cat dragged in. If it isn’t the Krew themselves, coming to visit our little town of misfits.” A raspy voice interrupted the younger woman’s speech and Korra’s eyes widened at the interruption but Asami barely noticed as her head turned towards the disruption and her entire body seized up at the sight in front of her. “Aren’t you all a sight for sore eyes.” The ghoul in front of them spoke in that disgustingly raspy voice of his. Before Asami could think entirely on what she was doing she had dropped Korra’s waist to grasp at her weapon but was stopped by a desperate pair of hands.

“Asami don’t! Please!” Korra desperately tried to keep pale hands from grasping her gun. On top of that she could tell their small scuffle was attracting unwanted attention and people were beginning to draw their own weapons in response. “Asami listen to me!” Korra pleaded and wrapped her arms tightly around the woman’s body, successfully pinning Asami’s arms to her sides.

“Korra what are you doing!” She shouted angrily, desperately, her eyes not once leaving the disfigured thing in front of her.

“Just be quiet and listen! You’re causing a scene. Don’t you trust me?” The words caused Asami to freeze in her struggle. Korra hadn’t given her much reason to not trust her with dangerous situations. So in response Asami simply nodded her head. Through her peripherals she could see multiple people pointing their weapons in their direction, waiting for the opportunity to light them up.

“Well that’s quite the welcome. Hadn’t had a pleasantry like that since I first turned.” The ghoul in front of her mused. Asami tensed up again, her fingers twitching to grab onto her weapon.

Once Korra was sure Asami wouldn’t do anything to ruin their chance at survival she turned to the man speaking, offering a genuine but desperate smile. “Johnnyyy!” The woman exclaimed happily, throwing her arms out in welcome. “If you’ll give me a chance to explain you’ll understand my friends behavior.” Her eyes darted around to the multiple people on standby with their weapons drawn.

“Ofcourse, sister. You’re a misfit just like us. You haven’t done me wrong before, ya dig? Explain away.” Despite addressing Korra the ghoul had never took its eyes off Asami who stared fearfully back in return.

“Err I talk better when I’m not under pressure. From, ya know, guns pointing at me.” Korra attempted at a desperate smirk and the ghoul only laughed in response.

“Alright people get back to your business.” The ghoul ordered and Asami was shocked to see people obeying. Weapons lowered and people went on their way, going back to whatever it was they were doing prior to their incident. He then stepped forward, approaching the group as if Asami wasn’t moments away from shooting him. Perhaps he just wasn’t afraid.

“Thanks Johnny. So this here is Asami. The other wide-eyed chick over there is Opal. They’ve never seen a ghoul before so I’m sure you get why they’re a bit… shell shocked.”

“Your face…” Opal suddenly spoke out, causing all eyes to turn to her. All eyes except for Asami.

“You like it? I think it gives me a sexy, king of the zombies kind of look. Big hit with the ladies.” There was a tense silence before Korra, Bolin and Mako broke out into laughter. “I’m a ghoul. A rad-freak. Just like a lot of other people around here. Goodneighbor is of the people, for the people, ya feel me?” Neither Asami nor Opal responded so he continued in their silence. “Think of this as your home away from home. As long as you remember who’s in charge.” His voice had grown stern at the end but unfortunately his disfigured face wasn’t giving away much emotion.

“This is Mayor Hancock. He runs this place.” Bolin added when he managed to ease his laughter into chuckles. “He’s actually Mayor McDonough’s brother.”

“But- How…?” Opal continued, clearly in disbelief. She was taking her introduction to ghouls much better than Asami had.

“I was a crazy kid when I was building up this town. Got into a lot of crazy drugs, ya dig? Messed with this experimental rad drug. The high was sooo worth it. But now I’m dealing with the side effects. A small price to pay for immortality.” Despite how grim the response was the ghoul not once expressed sadness to his situation. He seemed proud of it, even.

“That’s…” Opal stopped, unable to find the proper word to fit the situation. Instead she decided to just blurt the first word that came to mind. “Incredible.”

“See? A hit with the ladies.” The ghoul chuckled at his own joke along with the other wastelanders. Eventually he turned to face Asami who flinched in response. “So what’s your deal, sister? Why so scared?”

Asami eyed the ghoul warily, deciding whether or not she wanted to respond. Fortunately Korra covered that for her.

“Actually, on our way here me and her ran into some ferals. You know how nasty those bastards are. So those are the only ghouls she’s met. I was just getting ready to tell her about you but you got perfect timing, like usual.”

“Ah. Well that makes sense. I like your spunk, sister. But try to keep the trigger finger under control around here. People around here’ll shoot first, ask questions later. But I think it’s about time I introduced myself. I’m John Hancock.” Asami vaguely recalled that name from somewhere but couldn’t seem to place it.

“Like I was saying. Not all ghouls are feral.” Korra was addressing Asami now, garnering the woman’s attention, for the most part. “Some ghouls are just like the rest of us. Just a little more attractive. Right Johnny?” Korra shot the man a cocky grin.

Before he could respond Asami blurted out a question she had been worried about since the moment she set eyes on him. “So you won’t eat my face?” She could barely contain her whimper at the admission of her fear. The question seemed so childish yet her fear of it was entirely too real.

“Sister, if I’m eating anything on you it ain’t gonna be your face, ya feel me?” He offered the woman a grin, the skin stretching the muscles in his cheek a bit.

The group began to laugh aloud once more, even Opal including herself in the boisterous noise. Asami could only blush. Somehow the inappropriate comment made her feel a bit more comfortable around the ghoul. She blamed Korra for her sudden comfortability with sexual humor.

“Just so you aren’t going around shooting my people, there are more ghouls lurking about around here. Try to keep your questions to a minimum around them. Not everyone is as cool as me.” The vault-dwellers nodded their heads in response. “Good. You guys need anything else?”

“Actually yes. You know if the doc is around? I need my leg fixed up.”

“She should be back in her office. You know the way.”

“Let’s get going then. My leg really is killing me now.”

The group began to chat excitedly with one another as they were led to a building in the corner of the town. It was small but a neon sign outside lit up the front and read ‘Infirmary’ over the top. Outside the door a woman dressed in a white doctors coat with short, black hair was smoking and skimming through a magazine in her hand. She barely noticed the group as they approached.

“Amari! Just the girl I was looking for.” Korra announced excitedly.

At the mention of her name the woman finally lifted her head. She was a bit older than them, most likely in her mid-30s but that made Asami more comfortable with her experience in the medicine field.

“The Krew coming by to pay me a visit? Pleasure, or business?” The woman eyed Korra up and down and the sight caused Asami’s skin to prickle with annoyance. Was this how it was always going to be?

“Business this time. My leg’s all messed up. Think you can fix it for me, doc?”

The woman hummed quietly as she took in the state of Korra’s appendage beneath the makeshift bandage. “Shouldn’t be a problem. Come on in and I’ll get you fixed up.” The woman flicked her cigarette out and disappeared into the building. Korra turned to face the group with a mischievous grin. Asami couldn’t help but get irritated with that smile.

“You guys go on and get comfortable. We shouldn’t be too long. Maybe check around for somewhere to stay.” Asami wanted to argue. She wanted to stay with Korra and help her through what could possibly be a painful healing session. But at the same time she knew she was in no position to cling to the other woman. So she begrudgingly agreed. She had some other business to handle anyways.

As Korra disappeared into the building the group wandered off, all discussing where they should stay for the night and how long they should be staying.

“You guys figure it out. I’m going to be right back.” Asami received questioning stares from her friends but waved them off. She didn’t need to be questioned every time she left.

“Just stay out of trouble.” Mako demanded and Asami could only roll her eyes.

“Whatever you say, boss.” She extracted herself from the group before she could hear his response. She wasn’t in the mood for arguing. Thankfully Goodneighbor was not nearly as big as DC was. It wasn’t hard for her to retrace her steps and find herself back at the entrance. It was easy to find her target from there, he stood out clear as day.

“Mr. Hancock.” Asami announced and the ghoul turned to face her. She could barely keep from noticeably flinching when his gaze turned on her but she forced herself to remain calm. Now that she got a better look at him she could see key differences between him and the other ghouls she had dealt with.

His body posture was upright, not hunched over painfully like the ferals. On top of that he actually had proper clothing which consisted of a red trench coat and military hat. He could also speak, which if the horrifying memories of gurgling served as a reminder, feral ghouls could not.

“Mayor will do just fine, sister. No need for the ‘Mr’ crap, this isn’t Diamond City.” He didn’t seem surprised to see her. Or maybe he was and he just wasn’t able to show emotions with all that melted skin.

“Mayor Hancock, then. I just want to apologize for earlier.” A gloved hand lifted upwards and Asami stopped speaking immediately.

“You got no need to apologize to me. We tend to freak you smooth skins out, especially if you’ve never seen one of us before. Besides, it takes a lot of guts to come up and apologize to me after all that. All is forgiven.”

“Well, thank you.” Asami offered a sincere smile.

“So, how come a pretty little thing like you has just recently been introduced to ghouls? Seems like a common knowledge thing around here.”

“Well…” She trailed. She recalled Mako didn’t want her blurting out her vault status but how was she suppose to get any help without some people knowing? “I’ve actually been in a vault all my life. I’ve only been out for a little less than a week. And we don’t really have ghouls in the vaults.” She shrugged sheepishly, hoping her explanation could explain some of her behavior. She was thankful Opal had taken it a lot better than she had.

“That explains a lot. Well, welcome to the real world. Asami, right?” The heiress nodded but her attention had drifted. Behind Hancock a group with a Brahman in tow entered through the gates. But it wasn’t the group itself that caught her attention. It was the large white fur that was being drug behind the brahman that really caught her eye.

“E-excuse me.” Asami departed herself from the conversation and Hancock didn’t seem like he was very offended. Even if he was Asami wouldn’t be able to stop herself as she approached the group. Her eyes not once left the white thing, even as the group eyed her suspiciously for approaching them suddenly.

“Can I help you with something?” An older woman spoke among the group, directing the question at Asami. The woman had short, brown hair and was dirty enough to seem like she had never seen a shower in her life.

“That thing. That your brahman is dragging.” Asami lifted on to her tiptoes to try and get a better look at the creature. It couldn’t be…

“It’s a dog. Found her limping around on the way here so I figured I’d bring her along. Torn up pretty bad. You want her?” Asami’s jaw unhinged at the revelation and the blatant disregard for the animals treatment.

“Naga?” Asami asked, her voice squeaking. The movement was so minor that if Asami hadn’t been watching closely, she would have missed it. But she noticed the slight thump in the dogs tail at the mention of the name. “Naga!” She exclaimed loudly, disregarding the people and running towards the injured dog.

Naga’s white fur was coated red in various spots, indicating the heavy injury she had sustained. But even the blood couldn’t keep Asami from stroking her fingers gingerly over the dogs head, assuring the creature she was safe.

“Oh Naga. Pretty girl. I’m so happy you’re here.” Big brown eyes peered up at her, the tail once again thumping softly against the ground. Asami could have cried at the sight. She was so sure she had witnessed Naga’s death. But somehow she was here, in front of her, breathing and very much alive. It must have been a miracle.

“She belong to you?” The woman’s voice broke their reunion and Asami looked up at the older woman with eyes glazed over with tears. She sniffled and nodded her head furiously, not trusting her voice to remain steady.

“Well looky there. Nothing warms my heart more than reuniting two friends.” Despite how nice the words were the woman seemed to have a constant sarcasm in her voice. Asami couldn’t tell if she were serious or not. Regardless she attempted to take advantage of the woman’s kindness.

“Thank you so much for finding her. And I don’t mean to trouble you more. But do you know if anyone around here can help her?” Her hands continued to stroke at Naga’s matted fur, careful not to touch any wounds.

“Well I was gonna take her to Brent and see what he can do but if you’re her owner you can take her off our hands.”

“Please. If you take her I will come right back and pay you for everything you’ve done. I just need to go grab my friend to get me the money.”

“Listen. You seem like a sweet kid. So I’ll take her over for free. But after that you’re on your own.”

Asami could have swept the woman up in a hug if it wouldn’t have been a socially awkward thing to do. Instead she nodded her head vigorously, a wide grin on her lips. She couldn’t wait to tell Korra.

“Thank you! Thank you so much!” Her eyes drifted downwards as she patted the dog reassuringly, her words taking on a soft coo as she spoke. “I’m gonna go get Korra, girl. I’ll be right back.” Naga whined softly when Asami stood up and walked at a brisk pace back to the doctor. She had to force herself to walk instead of sprinting in joy to tell Korra the good news.

She debated on entering the building. She didn’t feel comfortable without being invited in but in the end her excitement won out and pushed her to carry on despite her discomfort. There were no people present in the lobby and there was only one more set of doors other than the ones that led outside. This was likely the smallest doctors office she’d ever seen but atleast it would make finding Korra much easier.

With complete disregard to privacy the woman swung the doors open, a toothy grin present on her lips. Her excitement quickly dissolved into horror as her eyes widened at the scene unfolding in front of her.

Korra had her head tucked between Doctor Amari’s legs on the patients bed with the docs dress hiked up around her waist. The woman’s legs were wrapped around Korra’s head and her hand buried in chocolate locks to keep her head in place. If Asami had any question on what was happening in front of her the moans spilling from the older woman’s mouth would have answered them.

The sudden bang from the door startled the two women from their intimate moment, both heads lifting to stare at the vixen who stood there with her eyes wide and mouth open wider. Asami’s eyes flickered to Korra and the sight of the slick wetness on her lips caused Asami’s surprised expression to morph into one of sadness. Her lips turned downwards in a frown, her eyes flickering downwards as she became suddenly flushed with embarrassment.

“Asami-”

“Sorry.” Asami murmured out and quickly shut the door. She rushed form the doctors office and back out to Goodneighbor. She couldn’t stop the rush of emotion that desperately wanted to spill out into some sort of erratic behavior. She wanted to scream out in frustration and anger and sadness. But she wouldn’t dare waste so much energy being hurt over a girl like Korra. She already knew better.

She walked hastily away from the office but it seemed Korra wouldn’t be chasing her down this time. It wasn’t going to be difficult to find out where the Krew was staying. There was only one area for guests to sleep at. She trudged up the steps to the hotel and quickly found the rest of the group standing around the lobby.

“Guys. I really need some help.” Asami skipped any pleasantries and got straight to business, eyeing Bolin and Mako. “Some group found Naga and they’re taking her to some guy named Brent. But I don’t have money on me to pay the guy to help her. Think you can help?”

“Naga is alright? Gosh I was so worried when I didn’t see her with you! Korra is going to be so happy!” Bolin flailed around excitedly with that familiar childlike grin on his face. “How come you didn’t ask Korra though?”

“She’s… preoccupied with the doctor.” She wasn’t lying, but she also didn’t feel like going into too much detail about their situation. Apparently she didn’t need to. Their faces relayed their sympathies at her having walked in on them.

“Come on. Let’s go get Naga.” Bolin wrapped his arm around Asami’s neck like they were long lost friends. Opal slid up beside her on her other side and the trio walked out. The two chatted to her about anything and everything. It was as if they were trying to get her to think about anything except Korra.

Thankfully Bolin was aware of where to go. Despite how small the town was the thought of getting lost didn’t sit well with the heiress. She didn’t feel like the people around here would be all too willing to assist her.

They walked up to a small shack and the giant white mass laying on the table told her they were in the right place. A man was standing over top of her, applying a gauze to the wounded area. She was not nearly as fluffy anymore, her blood stuck fur having been cut off.

“How is she?” Bolin asked, breaking the tense silence.

“She’ll be alright.” The man responded without looking at them, snipping at a few more pieces of wrap. “She’s a strong one.”

“Thanks a lot Brent. How much do I owe you?” Bolin pulled out a knapsack and the jingling inside told Asami it was filled with bottlecaps. She still didn’t understand the reasoning behind that.

“50 will be fine. I didn’t do much except wrap her up. When I’m finished you can take her with you. Just make sure she drinks a lot and rests up.” Bolin handed over the proper amount of caps before looking over Naga, trying to decide a good approach to carry her out. There was no denying she was a large dog but Bolin managed to lift her regardless, impressing both women present. Opal had it good.

The walk back to their hotel was quiet save for a few whimpers from Naga. Thankfully the walk wasn’t far and with the help from Asami and Opal they were able to drop Naga off in one of the rooms.

“You haven’t had a chance to check it out yet but this room will be for you ladies. I think Naga will be happier in here. Mako, Korra and I will be next door.”

“Just set her on my bed, Bo. I want her to be comfortable.” Bolin did as he was told, gingerly placing the dog on one of the torn up mattresses. Asami immediately sat next to the dog and ran her fingers softly through the ivory fur. “I can watch her if you two want to head out. I’m probably going to nap for awhile.”

The couple glanced at one another before nodding.

“If we see Korra we’ll let her know. Try and get some sleep.” Opal cooed softly before wrapping Asami in a tight hug. The heiress returned the hug uneasily. Why was Opal being so clingy all of a sudden?

“See you guys later.” After the door clicked shut Asami immediately returned to petting the dog beside her. Naga seemed more relaxed than when the heiress first saw her. She lowered herself to lay beside the dog, her fingers never ceasing their caressing movement.

“I’m so happy your back.” Asami’s voice was a whisper and Naga didn’t even stir to notify the woman that she was being listened to. Regardless she continued to speak. “You saved us, Naga. I owe you my life.” She trailed her thumb over the dog’s cheek gently before stroking her fingers over the top of her head. She continued to whisper to the animal, like she could provide answers or responses. The silence was rewarding in itself.

Asami didn’t even realize she had fallen asleep until she felt a light shift in the mattress. Despite being awake her eyelids didn’t seem to want to open. It was like her eyelids had weights on top of them. Fortunately she didn’t need to open her eyes to know who it was. A body leaned over her own and a soft whisper broke the silence.

“Oh Naga. God I was so scared girl. I don’t know what I’d do without you.” With each syllable the soft voice held more and more emotion. At the final word the woman’s voice cracked, laced with unmistakable sadness. Asami could hear Naga whine in recognition and could hear sloppy, soft kisses being smacked against the dogs snout. The heiress hoped this reunion wouldn’t last long. As happy as she was for Korra to be reunited with Naga, she desperately wanted to sleep.

The body leaning above her shifted slightly and Asami sighed gratefully for the weight being removed from on top of her.

“Thank you.” The word was whispered softly above her head before she felt a pair of wet lips press to her cheek. She could only assume Korra was crying above her. “Thank you.” Korra repeated, her voice softer than before as she pressed yet another kiss to Asami’s cheek. The process repeated another few times before Asami managed out a groan. She didn’t want to be kissed, she just wanted to sleep.

“Korra.” The heiress mumbled sleepily, opening her eyes only slightly to peer at the woman above her. She wasn’t surprised to see tan cheeks stained with tears. What WAS surprising was the smile that accompanied those tears. She had never seen something so sweet. So caring.

“God Asami. Thank you.” She murmured softly once more. A tan hand cupped her cheek and turned her head so their faces were aligned with one another. The last thing Asami saw was Korra’s face approaching her own before the heiress shifted her head again, forcing Korra’s lips to press against her cheek rather then their intended destination.

“Asami?” The voice that was moments ago sprinkled with gratitude was quickly replaced by a tone of bruised rejection.

Asami’s lips turned downwards into a scowl, her eyes staring directly at the dozing dog beside her. She was still hurt from what she had witnessed earlier. The last thing she wanted was to be kissed by this girl whose lips had been on another woman not long ago.

“I can still smell her on you.” Asami whispered quietly, her voice void of emotion. And it was true. There was a musky scent coming from Korra’s mouth and she desperately wanted it as far away from her as possible.

There was a long pause before she felt Korra’s hand remove itself from her cheek. Asami sighed audibly and snuggled closer to Naga, her eyes drifting close again. Korra didn’t move away like Asami had expected. Instead she felt Korra’s hand slide over to her pale arm so her fingers could skim gently along her skin. As much as she didn’t want the contact she couldn’t deny the pleasant feeling it provided. Enough so that the heiress once again drifted off into a deep slumber.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You guys didn't really think I'd kill the best character in the series right? I'd rather kill Mako before I kill Naga... silly people.


	14. Update!

Don't get your hopes up people! I did not update this quickly. I just wanted to give you all the heads up the next few chapters will be dedicated to character building and I would like to give you, the readers, an opportunity to throw some of your own creativity into my story!

It's this easy: Message me on either my tumblr, TheChapstickLesbian9494 or my email, Myahammy@live.com 

Give me thoughts for prompts or ideas that you'd like to see! These prompts will be turned into quests or activities by yours truly. Give me as little or as much information as you'd like. Or, if you want, find a quest from the Fallout 4 game that you particularly liked and I'll be more than happy to include that in the story with my own little twists to it!

Depending on how many people decide to partake I CANNOT guarantee your idea will get chosen but please don't be offended if it isn't! I hope to hear from you!

P.S. You all are so amazing, thanks for all the support!

Love, Chappy. <3


	15. Meet the Neighbors

“I say we go to the Memory Den and beg Irma to let her use it. She might be forgetting some crucial information that could help us!” Mako slammed his hand palm down on the table between the group, garnering the attention of those present. His amber eyes stared directly at Opal, daring her to argue. The young woman was more than happy to oblige.

“You can’t just expect me to let some stranger put her in this weird chamber and make her relive awful memories.” Opal shouted back, her eyes narrowing. They had been arguing back and forth for atleast 30 minutes, neither side budging on their plan. Ofcourse Asami didn’t want to go into this thing called the “Memory Den” and her friend was quick to defend her. Not to mention they had awoke the heiress to listen to their insistent arguing. She had only managed about a 2 hour nap.

“Then what do you expect us to do? You want to just sit around and wait for something to happen?”

“And what’s so wrong with that? Why are you being so impatient with this? Why are you so against NOT risking our lives?” Opal seethed, eyeing the man suspiciously.

Mako immediately grew silent and the sudden rigid behavior from all the wastelanders had the two vault-dwellers observing them skeptically.

“What are you all keeping from us?” Asami asked hesitantly. She had been around this group for nearly a week now and the thought they had been keeping something from them made her feel uncomfortable. They were suppose to trust one another.

All the wastelanders shared glances before Mako sighed loudly, rubbing at his temple with two fingers.

“We’re kind of on a time limit here. You two know we were running for Zaheer.”

At the name Asami scowled, her eyes narrowing dangerously. “You mean transporting his killing machines, right?” She added sarcastically.

“Yeah, those killing machines your people were making.” Mako shot back and Asami grew quiet once more. “Anyways. We can’t just stay gone forever. We need to get back to work or else there’s going to be trouble.”

“Does this Zaheer know you’re looking for Hiroshi?” Opal asked. The question made Asami tense involuntarily.

“No.” Mako responded quickly and for some reason Asami was tired of hearing him speak. She wanted to hear one of the other two.

“Then what does Zaheer think you’re doing? Why would he just let you stop working for him?” It was like Opal was taking words right from Asami’s mouth. Something didn’t add up about their story. She flicked her eyes between Bolin and Korra urging one of them to speak. Unfortunately they wouldn’t meet her gaze.

“Well we-” Asami lifted her hand to cut Mako off, her eyes staring directly at Korra now.

“Not you. I want to hear it from them.” Korra and Bolin glanced at Mako uneasily before they finally looked at Asami. Her jade eyes pierced into theirs, waiting for an explanation.

“We told him we were on the brink of finding some strong ass tech shit. And he let us go as long as he gets some of the cut.” Korra still refused to meet her eyes and that was probably for the best. Jade eyes shaded over in anger. They had been lying from the very beginning and she was stupid enough to fall for it. The heiress kept her voice level but the fury was ever present.

“So what you’re saying is you’re not using me to help out Air Temple. You’re using me to save your own asses.” Asami leaned back in her seat and crossed her arms over her chest. She was no longer interested in listening.

“No! That’s not how it is!” Bolin jumped up quickly, his eyes wide in desperation. He looked at Asami first but when he saw he wasn’t going to get anywhere with her he looked pleadingly at Opal. “Opal please. Will you listen?”

Asami spared a glance at her friend and noticed the woman’s features softened at the mans pleading. If it had been anyone else Asami was sure she would be able to tune them out. Unfortunately Bolin was able to worm his way into peoples soft spots.

Bolin visibly relaxed and moved to sit in front of the women, planting his butt on the table. “Yes, Zaheer is going to get some of the goods. But if we provide him with them he promised to leave Air Temple alone. We won’t have to work for him anymore and we can finally take care of our family.” His innocent green eyes peered from one woman to the other before continuing. “I know we didn’t tell the entire truth from the beginning and I’m sorry for that. But everything we’re doing is for our family.”

“But Zaheer will also be benefiting. And he will likely use those benefits for anything but a good reason.” Asami added, still not entirely convinced that she was okay with being used for this reason.

“He’ll pay.” Korra’s steady voice suddenly spoke out and Asami glanced at the woman, shocked at the sudden statement. What she saw was Korra staring at the ground with a look the heiress wasn’t quite familiar with. If she had to compare it to anything it would be pure hatred. A quick glance across the room told her all the wastelanders were wearing similar looks.

Asami sighed audibly, rolling her head backwards in contemplation. On one hand she understood their hesitance about telling them their true intentions. But at the same time she couldn’t help her feeling of betrayal. And how did she know she wasn’t being lied to again? She had no proof that what they were saying was the truth.

“What do you think, Opal?” Despite asking the question she knew what her friend was going to say. She could tell just by the way Opal stared so adoringly at her beau.

“I think we need to see this through and after we find Hiroshi we figure it out from there.” Asami only sighed again, standing up from her seat. In actuality she didn’t want to do either of those things. She just wanted to leave and not deal with these people any more.

“Then I’ll let you all figure out what we’re going to do next. I’m gonna go for a walk.” She didn’t wait for a response as she walked out of the room. She wasn’t in the mood to talk and she knew her abrupt exit would make that very apparent to the group.

As she exited the building she stifled a groan. She was thoroughly annoyed with herself and the rest of them. She had expected Opal to back her up after discovering they were being used. But clearly Asami underestimated the woman’s feeling for Bolin. And the fact that they may outweigh their feelings of friendship set a heavy weight on the vixens heart. Opal is all she had. She had thought that Korra would be able to fill the void but unfortunately the woman just continues to disappoint the heiress.

“What’s wrong, sweetheart? Why the long face?” The suave voice startled the heiress from her own thoughts, her attention shifting to a woman that was standing beside her. How long had she been there?

“I’m sorry?” Asami was surprised that the woman had snuck up on her but what surprised her more was how captivating this woman was. She wore a deep, red dress that exposed plenty of her shoulders and cleavage. The dress cut off at mid-thigh and it took every ounce of willpower not to stare at those creamy thighs. Instead she looked at brown eyes that were staring gently back at her with just a hint of curiosity sparkling in them.

“I asked if you were okay? A beautiful gal like yourself shouldn’t be frowning like that. There should be something fun to do around here to lift your spirits.” The woman’s voice was like honey, words flowing smoothly from her mouth as she offered a sweet smile to the heiress.

“I’m not familiar with the area. So I’m not sure what there really is to do.”

“Ah, a new face? Well then, it would be my pleasure to show you to one of the finer establishments around town. They happen to have a beautiful singer for entertainment as well.” The woman offered a flirtatious wink and Asami could barely contain her shy smile.

“Well how could I say no to a proposition like that?” The heiress responded and added rather boldly afterwards. “Though I doubt this singer could be as beautiful as yourself.” Sure, flirting wasn’t really her thing. She was more for physical companionship rather than verbal. She really was a living contradiction.

The woman chuckled beside her, brown eyes sweeping over the heiress’ body hungrily. “Oh sweetie. I think you’ll be pleasantly surprised.” The woman purred and Asami could feel the goosebumps forming on her arms.

The two shared pleasant conversation the entire way. Asami found out the mysterious woman was named Magnolia and she worked in one of the nicer bars around town. The woman led the vixen down a stairwell and into what looked like an old train platform. There several patrons were seated at tables and the bar. At the corner of the area a small stage with a microphone was set.

“Magnolia. Glad to see you came around. The crowds been chanting for you for about 10 minutes now.” A ghoul with a submachine gun in hand addressed them as they reached the bottom step.

“Sorry Donny. I found a cute kitten to bring with me tonight. I figured I’d show her the _ _finer__  things in Goodneighbor.” Magnolia shot a seductive smile at the vixen and she blushed heavily under the implied innuendo.

“Well aren’t you a lucky gal.” The ghoul announced in its raspy voice, though he held no malice in his tone. “Many have tried to catch Ms. Magnolia’s fancy. Very few have succeeded.”

“Oh Donny, don’t pressure the girl. I’m just here to show her a good time, that’s all.” Magnolia grasped Asami’s bicep gently and the simple touch caused her to shiver slightly. Apparently she was very sexually deprived to have such strong reactions to the smallest touches.

“Hopefully that good time carries over to a bed tonight.” Asami stated nonchalantly but squeaked out in surprise when she realized she had voiced her own lewd thoughts aloud. Her cheeks flushed in embarrassment as both Magnolia and the ghoul laughed at her own mishap.

“You caught yourself a good one there Mags.” The ghoul stated through his own hoarse laughter. The hand on Asami’s bicep squeezed gently as the woman led Asami towards the bar and urged her to sit in one of the empty stools.

“Charlie. Get my friend here a cold one please.” The woman addressed the Mr. Handyman behind the bar.

“Ofcourse Mags. You know I’ve always got something on hand for you.” The robot responded as it slid a cold beer over to where Asami was sitting. The heiress grasped the bottle and lifted it to her lips, her eyes never leaving Magnolia’s as she took a sip of the bitter alcohol. She had never had beer before and the liquid going down her throat was disgusting. Unfortunately she wouldn’t disregard her hostess’ kind gesture.

“I’ve got to get to work now sweetie. I do hope you’ll stay for my show. Whatever drinks you want are on me.” The woman slid a hand slowly up to Asami’s cheek and moved her lips so they were just barely brushing Asami’s ear as she spoke. “And if you keep looking at me like that all night you’ll definitely be getting that ‘good time’ after I’m finished.” To punctuate the statement the woman pressed a lingering kiss just beneath Asami’s ear lobe. The vixen had to bite her lower lip to keep her whimper at bay.

As the woman walked up to the stage Asami couldn’t tear her eyes away from the perfectly shaped ass. She was sure Magnolia was purposely swaying her hips more than usual.

Asami continued to sip at her beer as she listened to the angelic voice from her escort tonight. It wasn’t long before one beer turned to two, then three. With the speed the woman was chugging them she quickly felt the buzz clouding her mind.

The words from the songs no longer registered in the woman’s mind. Instead her thoughts drifted to more exciting prospects that the night could bring her. Despite her lack of experience with women she couldn’t stop her mind from reeling with the different opportunities for her tonight. Some of them caused her to shift her thighs a bit, an uncomfortable wetness forming between her legs. Hopefully the woman’s show would be over soon, Asami wasn’t sure how long she could hold herself back from snatching her off stage and taking her to a secluded corner.

After what felt like hours and a few more beers later Asami could officially consider herself drunk, if the swaying of her body had anything to say about it. Finally Magnolia announced the end of her show and sauntered over to the awaiting heiress.

“Charlie. Water please.” She asked in that honey like voice, flashing that wooing smile that could cause hearts to swoon at the mere sight. Or perhaps Asami was just getting too philosophical in her drunken state. “So how was the show sweetie?”

“Beautiful.” The woman slurred and wrapped her arm around the singers slim waist and pulled her into her own body. Asami planted a sloppy kiss on the corner of the woman’s lips, cursing herself for missing her mark.

“Whoa there. Someone might have had a bit too much fun with their alcohol, hmm?” The woman purred, drinking her own cup of water as she stared at the heiress curiously.

“A bit.” The woman murmured, not trusting her voice to stay steady. She waited for the woman to set down her cup of water before leaning in for another kiss, groaning in satisfaction when her lips met the plump ones of the other woman. Asami didn’t waste time with deepening the kiss, her tongue gliding gently over the other woman’s lips to ask for permission to go further.

“Mm. Shouldn’t we wait till we find somewhere more private?” The woman asked breathlessly against the heiress’ lips though she did flick her tongue against Asami’s teasingly. Apparently this woman was feeling just as impatient.

“I don’t know if I can wait.” Asami whispered as she trailed her lips down from the woman’s mouth and over the pulse of her neck, sucking gently on the beating flesh. This earned a soft groan from the woman and Asami felt that uncomfortable wetness between her legs grow.

A shrill whistle from one of the bar patrons snapped the women from their lusty haze, both their heads turning to see several of the people clapping and wooing at the two women.

“Gonna put another show on for us, Mags?” One of the women shouted, earning a loud laugh from the other people. Asami only laughed along, too drunk to really be humiliated about their situation.

“Sorry darlings. But this one is going to be a private show.” The woman cooed to the other patrons who all cheered loudly in response. All except for one person.

“Sorry Mags. Not happening tonight.” An all too familiar voice spoke over the cheering and the room immediately silenced. Asami squinted her eyes to peer at who would dare try to ruin her good night but wasn’t surprised to see Korra standing near the stairway, staring at Asami like some sort of disappointed mother. Korra always ruined her fun.

Asami scoffed loudly and pulled the singer to her body once again, showering the woman’s neck with soft kisses.

“Don’t listen to her.” Asami cooed softly into the woman’s ear. “So where do you want to go?” She pulled her head back just enough to peer at the woman’s face and found her expression twisted into a frown. “Magnolia?”

“Sorry sweetie. If you’re one of Korra’s girls then we can’t play tonight.” The singer looked at the heiress apologetically, offering a small smile. “If it’s any consolation, I was really excited.”

Asami’s eyes widened in disbelief as she stared at the woman. One of Korra’s girls? How dare she assume something like that. She hadn’t even realized Korra had moved up beside them until she felt a strong hand grip her wrist gently.

“Come on ‘Sams. We gotta get back.”

Asami swung her arm hard, much harder then necessary, and ripped herself from Korra’s grasp. She scowled at both the women, her eyes narrowed. “I am not one of Korra’s girls. And you are not my boss. And if you won’t fuck me I’ll find someone who will!” Asami announced a little too loudly and earned a stunned silence from the crowd. She folded her arms, waiting for some sort of response from the women. The only response she got was a loud sigh from Korra.

“Fine. Guess we’ll do this the hard way.”

“The hell is-” Asami started then yelled out in surprise as she was lifted from her seat. The entire room began to spin with the sudden movement as she was slung over Korra’s shoulder like some sort of sack. The heiress yelled out in protest, slapping her hands against Korra’s back weakly. “Put me down you fucking dwarf!” She yelled angrily, attempting to wiggle herself free.

“Sorry about this Mags. She gets a little feisty when she drinks. What does she owe you?” The fact Korra was talking about her like she wasn’t even there only irritated the woman more as she began kicking her legs unsuccessfully.

“You don’t owe me anything, sweetie. Just take care of her, alright? She’s a good girl and doesn’t seem like she’s having the best night.” As Mag spoke she moved behind Korra and chuckled at the thrashing heiress. “Asami. It was a pleasure to meet you. If you ever stop by again you know where to find me.” Before Asami could respond with a sarcastic remark she felt a pair of hands grasp her cheeks gently and a small kiss be placed on her lips.

“Don’t worry I’ll take care of her.” Korra bumped Asami gently, shifting the woman more comfortably on her shoulder. Asami groaned loudly, smacking Korra’s back once more.

“How the hell is this taking care of me!” She argued, uncaring of the scene she was making.

Korra began for the stairs, walking like she wasn’t carrying an entire woman on her shoulder. The show of strength would be impressive if Asami wasn’t so furious.

“Be gentle with her Korra!” One of the people from the area yelled, earning a loud laugh from the rest of the group.

“More like she needs to be gentle with Korra!” Another person shouted and the entire bar erupted into boisterous laughter. Asami huffed indigently, her fruitless beating stopping once she realized it was doing literally nothing to the other woman. She simply pouted as she stared helplessly at the people as they ascended the stairs. If she wasn’t so drunk she would be humiliated.

“I can fucking walk.” The Heiress hissed, beginning to squirm once more. “Now put me down you’re embarrassing me.”

Korra sighed loudly again and finally set the woman back on her own feet. She swayed as she was met with a solid surface beneath her, the entire area around her moving with her. She felt a hand grab her shoulder and steady her as they continued to walk.

“Get off me!” Asami swatted at Korra repeatedly until the woman moved away from her. She then began to walk at her own pace, no matter how far she leaned from one side to the other.

“So you wanna tell me what that was about?” Asami expected the other woman to be upset or angry with her behavior. Korra was surprisingly sympathetic, her voice holding no malice in its tone.

“I don’t know what you mean.” The woman murmured and stopped for a moment to lean against a wall of a building. She hunched over slightly as she tried to gather her bearings.

“Asami.” Korra’s voice was soft, causing the heiress to slowly lift her head to look at her. “Don’t do that. Don’t close me out.” The tan woman pleaded softly, offering her water canister to the vixen.

Asami snatched the flask eagerly and lifted it to her mouth, downing the water greedily. She was surprised at how thirsty she was. Once she had her fill of water the flung her head forward and eyed the woman in front of her severely.

“Korra, I just found out that you’ve been lying to me this whole time. I can’t trust you. Not with personal information, atleast.” She murmured before taking another swig from the flask. She started moving forward again, using the wall to keep herself upright.

“It’s not like that, Asami. Come on. Let’s talk about this.” Korra grabbed the woman’s arm gently, attempting to coax her to the nearest bench. Asami begrudgingly went along with the woman, deciding she would rather be sitting than standing right now. Once the women were situated on the bench Korra continued. “I wasn’t intentionally lying to you. Mako told us to keep it on the downlow because he knew you’d be upset by this.”

“So that makes it right? Because Mako told you to do it?” Asami scoffed and sipped at the water some more. Never had dirty water tasted so damn good.

“No. Absolutely not. And I hate that we kept it from you for so long. Now that I’ve gotten to know you better I know you would have understood where we were coming from. But we really are doing what’s best for our family.” When Asami didn’t offer a response in return Korra sighed, eyes drifting down to the broken concrete beneath her. “Me, Mako and Bolin have been with Zaheer for a long time. He basically made us run his shipments unless we want him to take over Air Temple. It was the only way to keep our family safe. And I hate it.” Korra spat out the last sentence and the malice in her voice caused Asami to finally look at her. Blue eyes were dark with anger.

“How did it happen?” Asami inquired, leaning in slightly as she waited for a response.

“It was just another day. We were out in the fields when we heard shots ringing out. When we went to investigate it was Zaheer and his goonies. Said he was going to start taking sixty percent of our crops. If he did that we wouldn’t have anything to trade with and nothing to eat.” Korra grew quiet for a moment before speaking again. “Some of us tried to fight back. They got killed. There was no way out for us. It was fight back and die or not fight back and starve.” Korra began wringing her hands together as Asami stared intently at the woman, piecing together the ending on her own. She felt surprisingly sober right now.

“So you started working for him.”

Korra nodded slowly. “And I hate myself everyday for it.” She murmured as she rubbed her face exasperatedly. “I have to work for the man who threatens my family. And I make him stronger every time I do.” Asami could clearly see how torn up Korra was over this and it made the heiress sympathetic to the wastelander. There was more to her story than Asami was aware.

“I was pretty upset when I figured out you guys weren’t telling me the whole truth. Because I was just starting to really trust all of you. So I just wanted to get away. Then Mangolia picked me up and I drank and that’s about it.” Asami answered Korra’s question from earlier.

“I saw. You two were having a bit of fun.” Korra murmured with a frown.

“We would have had a lot more if you hadn’t interrupted.” Asami corrected, eyeing the woman next to her. She couldn’t help but be curious how Korra was going to react.

“Well so sorry for ruining your fun.”

“I don’t think you’re actually sorry.” Asami smarted back with a bit of a smirk.

“Not one bit.” Korra agreed. “I don’t like seeing other people all over you like that. It bugs me.”

Asami could only guffaw loudly, not sure if she had heard the woman correctly. “Excuse me? I think this conversation is over.” Asami went to stand up before she was tugged back down to the bench.

“Don’t just walk away Asami. I’m trying to talk this out with you.”

“What the hell is there to talk about? I walk in on you literally between another woman’s legs earlier but I’m not allowed to go out and have fun myself? Korra, I’m not your property. So quit acting like you can just control me.” Asami fumed, leaning back on the bench. If she was going to be forced to sit here she wasn’t going to act happy about it.

“I’m sorry, alright? That’s just how I’ve always paid the doc back. I wasn’t thinking.”

“Korra, you need to understand something. You’re also not my property. You don’t need to apologize to me for anything. Go and do whatever you want with whoever you want. But that doesn’t mean you can try and determine what I do.”

Korra remained silent for a long moment before she turned and faced Asami. The heiress eyed her skeptically, eyebrow raising at the sudden change in the woman’s demeanor.

“Do whatever I want with whoever I want?” The tanned woman repeated, raising her eyebrows.

“Yesss…” The woman trailed. Were was she going with this?

“Perfect.” Korra responded before leaning forward and pressing their lips together. Asami was shocked at the sudden contact before jerking her head back. This girl was impossible!

“Seriously Korra? Do you not understand the meaning of no?”

“You told me to do what I want with who I want.” The woman offered her lop-sided smile, knowing this would only irritate the vixen further.

“Let me add that the other person should consent.” Asami spat back, narrowing her eyes into green slits.

“Asami. I want you. I’ve wanted you since I first saw you.” The sincerity in the admission of desire caused the vixens breath to hitch. When she didn’t respond Korra continued desperately. “I want to pin you down under me and fuck you and make you scream my name until you never forget it. I dream about what you taste like and how good you’ll feel wrapped around my fingers.” By now Asami’s face was entirely red. The honesty in her statement was highly inappropriate and caused an even more inappropriate throbbing between her pale legs. “God Asami.” Korra’s voice lowered to a small growl, one of her hands grasping Asami’s knee gently before it slid further up her thigh. Green eyes darted around fearfully until she noticed no one else was in this area this late at night.

“Korra. We can’t.” Asami whispered softly. The words were apparently lost on the other woman as her hand slid all the way up a pale thigh.

“I need you. And I know you feel the same. So why don’t we…” Korra trailed and leaned forward again, intending for another kiss. Unfortunately Asami had other plans. She stood hastily, Korra nearly falling over from her leaned position. She looked up at the woman with wide blue eyes, her breathing a bit ragged.

“Korra we can’t. I can’t.” Asami said once more, wrapping her arms around herself protectively.

“Why not?” Korra asked desperately, standing up from the bench. “You can’t tell me you don’t want me to. I know you play it off well but when we kissed back at the tunnel… When we kissed you didn’t pull away.” Korra’s voice had gone from desperate to quiet, her eyes trailing downward sadly. “Or was it just a spur of the moment kind of thing?”

Asami swallowed back her nerves. It would be so easy to tell Korra she was right. That it was only a spur of the moment and nothing more. That would easily solve the problems they were having. But she couldn’t. She couldn’t lie while Korra lay her feelings out there.

“It wasn’t a spur of the moment.” Asami admittedly quietly. When Korra lifted her head and Asami saw the spark of hope in her expression she was sure her heart skipped. “But Korra.” Asami began to wave her hands around, desperately trying to relay what she was saying. When Korra only looked at her questioningly she finally conceded and sighed loudly. “Korra I don’t want to be another notch on your bedpost.” She finally made the admission out loud and looked down, fearful of how Korra would take to her saying such a thing.

“Asami.” Korra stepped forward and grasped Asami’s cheeks, forcing her to lift her head. Korra’s expression was so serious it caused the vixens stomach to drop. She had seriously fucked up. “Asami.” Korra repeated with a brief pause before continuing. “Will you be my girlfriend?”

“Wait, what?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Anybody else know someone who turns into an angry mess when they drink?


	16. Grognak

“Come on Asami! It’s not that crazy.” Korra pleaded as she walked swiftly after the woman. Asami simply ignored her companion, walking briskly towards their hotel. She was still in shock that Korra would ask such an absurd question with an all too serious face.

“Asami I was serious!” Korra whined like a child and if Asami turned around she was sure she would see the woman’s lower lip jut outwards in a pout.

“Serious about what?” A familiar male voice threw itself into the mix and Asami glanced upwards to see the rest of the group standing outside of the hotel.

“Nothing.” Asami replied quickly.

“I asked Asami to be my girlfriend and now she won’t talk to me.” Korra continued to fuss, looking to her friends for backup.

There was a stunned silence for a long moment before Mako finally broke it.

“Why would you do that?”

“Why the fuck else Mako? Why does a person normally ask another person to be their significant other?” Korra replied sarcastically, rolling her eyes like he was the wrong one in this situation.

“But. Didn’t you… And Doctor Amari…” Bolin furrowed his eyebrows in confusion, glancing at Asami for confirmation.

“Yes. Yes she did.” Asami clarified, folding her arms over her chest. Finally somebody was seeing the absurdity in all of this.

“Oh come on. That was earlier. I’m a changed woman now. I won’t do it again.” Korra stated with a proud grin, placing her hands on her hips triumphantly. The entire group just stared at her.

“Anyways.” Mako decided to let this foolish topic end before it got out of hand. “So we decided-”

“Don’t judge a woman by the sins of her past!” Korra interrupted loudly, that same, irritating grin on her face. Another plausible silence from the group. It was hard to believe she was expecting the heiress to take her seriously.

“You done? Good. Anyways we’re going to stay here for a couple of weeks until Naga heals up. We’ll decide where to go from there. Maybe some new info will come along. But while we stay here we’re going to need to take up some jobs so we can keep affording all this.” Mako looked around the group for any objections and when he found none he continued. “I got some news on some extermination jobs that need to be done. So Korra, Bolin and I will be working on those. Asami, Opal if you guys find something you can do around here that’d be helpful too. Everyone understand?” The group murmured their agreements. “Good. We’re gonna head out and see K-L-E-O to stock up. We should be back by morning.”

“Be safe Bolin.” Opal bid him farewell softly and punctuated the statement with a soft kiss to his lips. The man was all too eager to return the affectionate behavior.

“I’ll be back soon ‘Sams. Take care of Naga for me.” Korra leaned her head up and planted a quick kiss to the vixens cheek. The small gesture caused the heiress’ cheek to warm where it was kissed but she was frowning regardless.

As the group dispersed she felt Opal slide up beside her with an all too knowing grin on her lips. “So. Korra asked you to be her girlfriend.”

Asami groaned loudly, turning on her heels to enter the hotel. “Not now Opal. This is all just some crazy temporary thing. I’m sure come tomorrow she’ll be back at her old ways.”

“And what if she isn’t? What if she’s serious?”

Asami scoffed loudly, rolling her eyes as they moved up the stairs. “You know this is Korra we’re talking about, right? Not even 24 hours ago she was talking about how she doesn’t like to emotionally invest herself. And now she wants me to be her girlfriend? I don’t think she realizes that emotions are involved in relationships.”

“Well, what do you want Sami?”

Asami grew quiet as they entered their room where Naga was still lying on her bed. What did she want? That was the million dollar question.

“Right now? All I want is to find my dad. Then I can worry about all the other stuff afterwards.” Asami moved over to where Naga was laying and saw the dog staring happily up at her. “Hey girl. Want some water?” Asami filled a bowl with dirty water before sliding it next to the dog. Naga greedily lapped at the fluid while Asami stroked her fur softly.

“You really shouldn’t just cut your feelings out of the equation. It’ll come back to blow up in your face. Maybe you should give her a chance.”

“Opal I really don’t want to discuss this right now. Maybe, MAYBE, if I notice she’s actually trying I might give her a chance. But I think I’ll be a little preoccupied with more important things. Not to mention I’m still pissed that she’s okay with galavanting with all the girls but she won’t let me have my own freedom.” Asami moved the bowl away once Naga was finished and lay down next to the dog, sighing exhaustedly. She didn’t get nearly enough sleep a few hours prior to make up for her fatigue. She could hear Opal getting comfortable in her own bed and Asami was quick to mimic the other woman.

She laid down next to Naga and resumed her comfortable position from earlier. She continued to stroke the animal’s fur until she drifted off into her own peaceful sleep.

 

 

A slight shift in her bed caused the heiress to stir awake. She was overcome with an odd sense of deja vu. Peeking her eyes open she could see a small bit of light filtering into their room. The smell of light body odor and earth drifted into her nose and she immediately knew who it was that was trying to lay next to her.

“Korra.” The heiress mumbled sleepily, irritated at being woken up once again by this woman. “What are you doing?”

“Go back to sleep, Sams.” The woman whispered softly, laying down comfortably behind the heiress. She felt an arm slip over her waist and rest next to her own hand that was currently on Naga’s fur.

“Korra.” Asami stated a bit more firmly this time. She wasn’t comfortable with having someone sleep next to her that might try and take advantage of her.

“Relax. I just want to be close to Naga and Opal is in the other bed.” Korra barely managed to stifle a yawn before she buried her face into the back of Asami’s neck, inhaling deeply through her nostrils to take in the woman’s natural scent.

As much as Asami wanted to argue she couldn’t deny how comfortable she felt being sandwiched between these two. She felt safe having these powerful beings surround her. She chose to save herself the energy from arguing and get comfortable for sleep again. It wasn’t until she heard the steady breathing behind her that she allowed herself to drift off again.

 

She roused a few hours later, grumbling incoherently as the rest of her body groaned in protest at the prospect of getting up. The first thing she noticed was she was entirely by herself in the bed. She extended her limbs outwards in a comfortable stretch. The second thing she noticed was Opal was no longer in her bed either. It was a shame no clock was available to tell the time.

A gentle knock at her door caught her attention and she sat up in her bed with a quiet yawn.

“Come in.”

The door cracked open and in came Bolin with his adorable, innocent grin that he always wore.

“Morning sleepyhead.”

“Good morning Bolin.” The heiress murmured with a smile. “Whats the occasion? Breakfast in bed, maybe?”

The man chuckled quietly, walking over to the bed and handing over a field ration bar for the woman to eat. “Nothing that fancy. But I figure since we’re working together today I’d come get you.”

Asami raised her eyebrow at this. “Working together?”

“Well yeah. Opal and Korra went off together today so I thought we could hang out!” His smile was so endearing there was no way Asami could reject his offer.

“Well it’ll definitely be a nice change from Korra clinging to me all day. What’s the plan?”

“She just really likes you is all.” At the revelation Asami blushed lightly. “Anyways I got a job for clearing out this nearby place of radraoches. Figured it was easy enough. Feel up to it? You get to shoot thingsss.” The man cooed with an enticing eyebrow waggle. Asami could only giggle, nearly spitting out the food in her mouth.

“Yes Bolin I’m up for killing nasty bugs. Where are we going?”

“There’s an old bookstore north of here. The guy is sending us out to kill the bugs and said he’d pay extra if we find him some Grognak comics while we’re there. Easy peezy!”

“Sounds fun. But where’s Naga? I should feed her before we go.”

“Mako’s taking care of her. He’s gonna be staying around town and getting info for us.”

“Good enough for me. Let’s go!” The heiress exclaimed excitedly as she took a final chomp out of her food bar.

 

 

Another bullet rang out from her gun followed by a quiet shriek and the sound of guts splattering against a wall. Clearing out the radroaches had been much easier than expected. Finding a Grognak comicbook, on the otherhand, had not.

“Bolin are we even going to find this thing? I feel like we’ve looked this place up and down. Think we should call it a day?” The duo had been at it for a couple of hours, clearing the place top from bottom from the disgusting insects.

“Well he didn’t say there was definitely one here. But the amount of caps he’s going to give us if we do find it makes me wanna look a bit longer. Pleaseee.” He begged, jutting his lip outward in a puppy dog pout. It was irresistible.

“Fine Bolin. As long as you tell me why the hell you wastelanders use caps instead of money. That confuses the hell out of me.” Asami began to dig around any extra boxes lying around, peering at each issue of books present.

“Well after the war they didn’t make anymore money. But there was a ton of Nuka-Cola bottlecaps, a lot more than any pre-war money. Actually, there’s a rumor that Nuka-Cola is still making drinks. So it just made more sense to use bottlecaps as currency.”

“Hmm. That’s actually a good idea. But how is the place still running? Shouldn’t factories be inoperable?”

“Well, the next rumor has it that it’s run by a bunch of Mr. Handy’s. But that’s a pretty crazy rumor. I mean… where would they even get the supplies to make the stuff? I dunno. I just go with it and don’t ask questions. Hurts my head less when I do that.”

Asami chuckled quietly, tipping over the next box to look at the contents inside. Most of it was torn up newspapers and books that were so old the covers could no longer be read. What could be read she stuffed into her own bag for later use.

“Soo…” Bolin trailed, clearly on the verge of asking a question. Asami glanced over at him and saw that he was scratching at some peeled wallpaper.

“If you want to say something just say it Bolin. You don’t have to always be so hesitant around me, ya know.” Asami began rummaging through the desks around her, literally turning them upside down. She was beginning to get frustrated.

“Does Opal ever talk about me?” The man inquired, peeling the wallpaper in small strips. That nervous habit of his made it obvious he was worried about the answer.

“When does she have the chance? She’s always next to you.”

“Well don’t you two have girl talk at night and stuff?”

“Mm nope. Usually the night is used for sleeping.” The heiress teased with a chuckle. “Why are you asking, Bo?”

“Just curious s’all. I like her a lot so I was just wondering if maybe my feelings were growing too much too quick.” The man bobbed his shoulders in a shrug, tearing his attention from the wallpaper to the boxes lying on the ground.

Asami couldn’t help the slow smile creeping across her lips. It was adorable to see someone so infatuated with her friend. She was happy for the both of them. “Well, we don’t talk about you much. But I think she really likes you too Bolin. I’ve never seen her act like this around a guy. You’re good for her.”

“Heh.” He rubbed at his neck, his cheeks turning pink at the praise. “Thanks a lot. Now we just have to get you and Korra together and we can go on double dates!”

“No offense Bo, but I don’t think Korra is dating material. And I can’t imagine a double date exterminating bugs is very romantic.”

He gave an exaggerated roll of his eyes at her sarcastic remark. “I’m not talking about this. We can always find fun things to do. Like maybe getting drunk and playing pool.” He shot a shit-eating grin at the onyx-haired woman and she could only smile back. She couldn’t deny that that HAD been a fun night despite the fallout that followed.

“Regardless of date ideas, I don’t see Korra and I getting together any time soon. She has a lot of emotional maturing to do before she’ll be ready for that kind of step.” Asami threw yet another failed box at the wall before huffing in annoyance. “Bolin seriously. Can we focus on the task at hand instead of talking about Korra and I? I’m about to start breaking things if we don’t find this shit.” She moved to another room, not waiting for the man to respond.

“Oh come on Asami! I really want to see this happen.” The man whined as he followed after the vixen. He and Opal were perfect together. They were far too interested in her personal life.

“But why? You don’t even know me. For all you know I could be some psychopath that likes to lead people on then dump their bodies on the side of the road.” She tried to think up the most farfetched scenario she could but the horrified look on the man’s face told her she might have went too far. “I mean I’m not. But you don’t know that.”

“I just want to see my friend happy.” The burly man mumbled, pulling drawers out from a desk.

“It’s cute that you want Korra to be happy, Bo. But I don’t think trying to push her into a relationship is the best idea. She seems perfectly content with what she’s doing now.”

“I wasn’t talking about Korra.”

Asami didn’t turn to face him but she couldn’t keep the smile on her face from growing wider. The fact he would so openly admit their friendship was warming. “I am happy.”

“I guess I should word it differently. I want to see you REALLY happy.”

She spared a glance in his direction, one eyebrow arched questioningly. She silently hoped he would continue.

“Just call me nosey. But the last week that I’ve seen you there hasn’t been a whole lot of smiling. You just always seem so distant or like you’re thinking about too much. Which I wouldn’t blame you with everything going on. But the only time I’ve seen you relax since you’ve gotten out here is when you’re with her.”

Asami rolled her eyes but the movement caused her to catch a glimpse of what appeared to be wires. She trailed the wires along the wall, moving with them to find their source. “Geez you make it sound like I’m in love. She’s fun to be around when she’s not acting like a jackass. I’m sure you can all relate.”

“Which part? The jackass or having fun?” They both chuckled at the lame joke before Bolin’s tone turned serious once more. “I’m just saying. She doesn’t go around asking every girl to be her girlfriend. Actually she avoids that at all costs. So it makes me curious why she would do that.”

“Well you can certainly ask her next time you see her.” Asami mused as her hands trail down the wires to the ground. A filing cabinet sits over top where the wires lead and she quickly ushers Bolin over to assist her with pushing the heavy object. A floor safe with a physical lock lay beneath and Asami’s eyes light up with excitement. “If this stupid thing isn’t in here I don’t know where else it’d be! Can you get into it?”

“Piece of cake.” Bolin cracks his knuckles then his neck, acting as though he’s about to face off against an opponent in a fist fight. Asami only watches him bemusedly, eyebrow arched as he lifts a bobby pin and flat head screwdriver from his pocket. He shoves both metal extensions into the tiny lock and begins twisting them, his tongue stuck out in concentration. Asami attempted to peek over his broad shoulder, watching with piqued interest. Lockpicking was not one of her skill sets.

“Do you think you could teach me how to do that?” She mused quietly, hoping she wasn’t breaking the mans concentration. He didn’t respond until an audible click was heard from the lock. A triumphant grin passed the mans lips as he grasped the handle to the safe and ripped it open in his excitement.

“I can show you when we get back. Korra may be able to teach you how to shoot but I am a master lockpicker.” She only patted him on the shoulder to show her gratitude, leaning over to peer at the contents of the safe. There was stacks of pre-war money along with some jewelry and one of the Grognak comicbooks they had been searching for for hours.

“Finally!” Asami exclaimed exasperatedly, holding the book up in victory. The two took a moment to cheer in celebration before composing themselves, each sharing grins. “We should take back some of this jewelry. Maybe we can sell it off.”

“Hmm I wanna get first picks of what’s in here first.” Bolin hummed as he trifled through the trinkets, metal clinking against one another.

“You didn’t strike me as the type, Bo. How about this pretty little necklace?” Asami lifted a small golden chain with a heart-shaped locket hanging off, giving a teasing wink to the man. Bolin rolled his eyes, snatching the pendant from the woman to study it closely.

“It’s not for me. It’s for Opal.” He mumbled before nodding in approval, pocketing the necklace.

”You’re adorable.” Asami said through a grin, searching through the pile of metal herself. “Do you think Korra would like any of this?” The man’s waggling eyebrows had her groaning and she quickly stopped him before he said something that would earn a punch to the jaw. “Before you get any dumb ideas, it’s only because she got me this hairclip. It’d only be fair.”

Bolin remained silent long enough for the woman to look up at him. His mouth was hanging open slightly and his green eyes were wide in surprise.

“What? Is there something on my face?” Instinctively she lifted her hand to her face, wiping gently at her cheeks..

“She bought that for you?” The man finally uttered.

“Well, maybe. I’m not sure if she actually bought it or not but she gave it to me. It could be stolen.” Asami bobbed her shoulders in a careless shrug, eyeing what looked to be a silver wrist watch. That looked useful.

“But she gave it to you?” The man still looked stunned and Asami couldn’t understand what was so surprising.

“Didn’t I just say that?” Her irritation was growing but she forced herself to remain level-headed. She turned the watch over in her hands and noticed that it was still working, the hands on the clock ticking away by the second. She could only assume the watch was fusion powered. She quickly clamped it over her own wrist and grinned excitedly. She would finally be able to tell the time again.

“Why’d she give it to you?”

“Because I was mad at her for being an ass. So she probably gave it to me to make me forgive her. Which kind of worked. So now I’m just returning the favor.” She began to scoop the rest of the contents of the safe into her bag but froze when she noticed a small pistol at the bottom of the container. She lifted it out and noticed a large, black barrel hanging off the end of the muzzle. She eyed it curiously, lifting the weapon to Bolin. “What is this?”

Green eyes once again widened followed by a squeal of excitement, his hands clapping together wildly. “Oh my gosh! That’s the PPK with a suppressor! They’re SO rare.” The man was visibly shaking with his excitement.

“Do you want it, Bo? I was gonna give it to Korra but you and I technically earned this together.”

“No! Give it to her. She’s gonna frikin love it!” Asami smiled at his enthusiasm and picked the weapon apart before pocketing it in the leather jacket she had picked up before they left. As much as she hadn’t wanted to wear something like this in such heat she knew it was important to stay protected against the elements. And unfortunately her plad shirt was no longer wearable. “Korra’s definitely got me on shots. But I’m the muscle and lockpicker.”

“What does that make Mako?”

Bolin hummed, grasping his chin between two fingers in thought. “The negotiater? He’s a lot better with his words than we are. He can talk us out of trouble.”

“Fair enough. Now let’s get out of here. I think we made plenty of caps today.” The woman lifted her bag in triumph, the jingling heard inside attesting to their successful mission.

 

 

“Welcome back!” A chorus of voices plus a loud bark greeted Asami and Bolin as they entered back into the wastelanders’ hotel room. Opal and Korra both stood up to greet the duo, Opal and Asami exchanging hugs before she shorter woman received Bolin with a chaste kiss. The mans face lit up in a grin as he embraced Opal, lifting her off the ground as he returned the kiss.

“Get a room you two, geez.” Korra teased though her grin indicated her mirth towards the couple. Asami was about to agree before she felt a brief kiss pressed to her own cheek, the culprit ofcourse being Korra. The heiress’ mouth snapped shut at the contact, frowning in irritation.

“Oh hush. So how was it? Did you two have fun?” Opal responded after finally separating their lips. Bolin set the woman on the ground to pull out the brown bag rattling with their earnings.

“Oh yeah. We had some good bro time and made some decent caps.” He tossed the bag on the nearest table, allowing it to spill open and expose the caps within.

“Bro time?” Korra questioned, looking to Asami for answers. The woman simply shrugged, not sure how exactly to elaborate on the comment either.

“And those aren’t all we got. Right Bolin?” Asami encouraged with a smile, gesturing to his pocket with a nod of her head. The man’s face immediately reddened. The entire walk back he had expressed his concern about such a simple gift and how Opal had deserved more than a plain locket. Asami, on the otherhand, only encouraged him to be confident. Opal didn’t need anything extravagant to show she was cared for.

Opal looked at Bolin expectantly, a soft smile flashing across her features as she waited for her blushing partner to elaborate. Instead of saying words the man fished around in his pocket until he pulled out the golden locket. The smile on Opal’s face went from soft to fervent in a moments notice.

“Is that for me?” She cooed, eyeing the man affectionately. She took the necklace and looked it over.

“Uh, yeah. I saw it and just thought it’d look good on you. But if you don’t like it you can just sell it and buy something you do want.” The man’s smile was shy as he rubbed at the back of his neck anxiously.

“I love it.”

“Really?” The entire man’s demeanor relaxed at the declaration.

As Bolin began to put the necklace on Korra turned to Asami and eyed the watch on her wrist curiously.

“Looks like he’s not the only one that found some goodies.”

“Speaking of goodies.” Asami slid her hand into her pocket and pulled out the small handgun, presenting it to the woman in front of her. “Bolin said this was some kind of rare gun so I figured you’d like it.”

Cyan eyes widened at the appearance, the blue orbs sparkling in awe as she grabbed the gun from the woman’s grasp. “Holy shit! This is the PPK!” Korra turned the gun over repeatedly, eyes expertly examining the weapon. “No marks or wear. Barrel adjusted to shoot 10mm.” The woman began to mumble different observations to herself. By the look in her eye it seemed the present was a perfect match.

“Oh yeah! I found this with it.” Asami pulled the black barrel out from her other pocket and showed it to an already excited Korra. A tan hand snatched the modification from the heiress’ hand and slid it expertly into the barrel of the handgun. “What is that anyways?”

“I’ll be more than happy to show you.” The mischievous grin of Korra’s had Asami a bit on edge. That grin was never a good thing. “Watch this.” The shorter woman turned around and extended her arm, aiming the weapon at an already broken vase on top of one of the dressers. Asami’s eyes widened as she realized what the woman intended to do. Before she could berate the woman and advise her against shooting in this room a quiet __pew!__  could be heard followed by the vase breaking apart even more.

“Holy shit.” Opal murmured beside her, eyes wide in astonishment.

“This, ladies, is called a suppressor. It significantly dampens the noise from a weapon for a stealthy kill.” Korra held the gun next to her face as if she were posing for some sort of gun poster, that mischievous grin of hers never ceasing. “Yep. This is my new baby. I shall name her Deliverer.” Korra pulled her newly denounced weapon from her holster and handed it over to Opal. “There ya go. Now you have a weapon of your own. Take some of those caps and go shoot stuff.”

Opal grinned excitedly as she held the weapon firmly in her hands, rambling to the man beside her about how she NEEDED to go out and shoot something before she goes stir crazy. Korra apparently allowed the excitement to overwhelm her as well because moments later she was grasping Asami’ face and placing a lingering kiss on her lips.

“Thank you so much! This is the best present ever!” Korra exclaimed as their lips finally parted. Asami couldn’t contain the goofy little smile that appeared at the contact but the display was only brief. She wasn’t going to allow herself to get caught up in this nonsense. Everything about the tanned woman’s actions were so domestic and chaste compared to her usual behavior.

“It’s no problem. I’m glad you like it so much.”

“How could I not? This is literally the best present anyone has ever gotten me.”

“Oh? You mean your other girls don’t bring back nifty little toys for you to play with?” Asami teased. She wanted Korra to know she wasn’t going to be distraught about the mention of other women. If they were going to be friends it was important for them to get their feelings in check.

“Nope. They haven’t. I guess that explains why you’re so special.” Korra’s voice had softened and before Asami could question the reasoning she felt yet another warm, but very brief, kiss press against her lips.

The heiress cleared her throat to try and whisk away her embarrassment. Her expression remained cool and calm while internally she warred with herself over Korra’s sudden behavior.

“You’re certainly being affectionate, Korra. But you do realize I never said I was going to be your girlfriend, right?” She didn’t want to be harsh but the best remedy for this situation is to simply rip the band-aid off before it got out of control.

Korra’s expression softened as her excitement withered and her eyes slid downward to peer at the floor. Asami frowned but did not voice her worries any further. This was what was best for the both of them. Sure, Korra would be hurt for the moment, but in no time at all she would find another woman to heal any emotional wounds she’d suffer from this rejection.

Beside them Opal cleared her throat and Asami glanced at her curiously. Opal wasn’t looking at the heiress, though. Instead those green eyes were peering pensively at Korra. Asami glanced between the two, interested in what silent conversation their eyes were sharing. It wasn’t until Korra finally squared her shoulders in that annoyingly confident posture that Asami focused her gaze back on the wastelander.

“I do realize you said no. But that doesn’t mean I can’t show you what it’d be like. If we were to date, I mean. And maybe one day you’ll realize that I’m everything you want and more.” Korra flashed an exaggerated wink at the woman, her lop-sided grin present once more. Asami decided that smile suited her face much better than the sadness from moments before.

“Interesting.” Asami mused while folding her arms over her chest. “But there seems to be one flaw in that entire plan of yours.”

“Which is?”

“If we were dating, you wouldn’t be touching other women. If I had anything to say about it, atleast. So if you’re going to be doing this whole-heartedly you realize you’re going to have to keep your hands and mouth to yourself?” Asami could only smirk as she poked the biggest, nastiest hole in this little plan. It was sweet that Korra was attempting to put in some sort of effort but there was no point in doing so if it didn’t change the biggest problem they were faced with. “Or is that the only exception to this-”

“It’s worth it.” Korra interrupted, causing Asami’s jaw to snap shut in surprise. There was no way she had heard her correctly. As if Korra had read her mind she reiterated her statement. “You’re worth it, Asami. I’ll stick with the hero and forget the zeroes.”

Asami scanned the woman’s expression doubtfully. Why would Korra be so willing to give up her lifestyle over a woman she barely knew? And how long would this little joke of hers last, anyways? The heiress decided to simply humor the woman, unable to keep the blush from her face.

“Right. Well, we’ll see. Now are we going to go shoot things or what?” The heiress turned on her heel towards the exit, making a hasty escape before anybody could tease her about her blush. She heard a slap of skin against one another and she could only assume it was Korra and Opal high-fiving behind her back. She would have to question them about their ‘adventure’ later.


	17. BoS

Multiple shots rang out, lighting up the rather quiet area with echoing rings. Some were followed by the sound of metal making high speed contact with metal, while others were followed by no noise at all. This gave testament to who was skilled with their shot and who still needed work.

“You need to relax. You’re way too tense.” Korra instructed as Opal aimed her gun stiffly at the metal sign several feet away. Despite Korra not teaching her, Asami made sure to listen to each instruction carefully. Despite her luck with the weapon thus far she recognized she still had a long way to go.

“Don’t lean away from your weapon either. It won’t hurt you, just what’s on the other side of the barrel.” Bolin added in, noticing Opal was leaning back in her upright position.

“Like this?” Opal asked after fixing her form, though one could easily tell she was still tense in her posture. Asami didn’t blame her. The thrill of firing a weapon the first few times was sure to have ones muscles tight with excitement, something she experienced not too long ago herself.

“That’s a little better. But you’re still pretty tense. Try breathing deeply then exhaling. If you keep up that pose for too long your arms are going to get tired.” Korra’s eyes swept over the woman’s physique, expertly mapping out what areas in her form needed more work.

The rise and fall of Opal’s chest indicated her willingness to follow the instruction while her arms bent slightly to relieve some of the tension. Asami mimicked the woman beside her, eyes trained on the target down lane from her.

“Good. Now aim down the gun. Remember to align the sights. And this time take a deep breath and shoot on the exhale.” Korra instructed and both women obeyed. Moments later two shots rang out within seconds of one another, one hitting its mark and the other barely missing, if the tree behind her target was any indication.

Opal groaned dejectedly, lowering her weapon with a heavy sigh. “I can’t hit it!” Bolin patted her shoulder reassuringly, offering a bright smile to his partner.

“But you’re getting way closer than when you started! That one wasn’t even far off.” He consoled the woman with a kiss to her head but the shorter woman simply pouted, her lip stuck outwards.

“It’s true. You’re actually getting the hang of it pretty quick. Don’t try and compare yourself to Asami. She’s… well she’s a special case. There aren’t a lot of people that catch onto shooting that quick.”

“What can I say? I’m amazing.” Asami gave an exaggerated flip of her hair, earning a groan from her friend.

“Shut up Salami. God when did you become such a pain in the ass?”

“When you decided to be a baby because I’m FINALLY better than you at something.” The heiress smarted back with a small smirk. She couldn’t help but bask in her small victory. Opal had always been more confident, more outspoken and generally easier to get along with than Asami had been. It was about time she won at something.

“Whatever. You’re just a freak. Like Korra said. You’re ‘special’” Opal used air quotes around the word, causing her gun to wave around nonchalantly. The wastelanders quickly yelped and ducked their way out of the line of fire on her weapon, causing Opal to smile apologetically at her mistake. “Sorry guys.”

“Let’s just try and make it out of here without one of us getting shot, alright?” Korra murmured, adding a bit of distance between her and Opal. “Like Bolin said, you’re already doing a lot better. That gun is a little old so you’re just going to have to adjust it to your preference of shooting. For example, if you’re missing right but you feel like you’re looking directly down sight, try aiming more to the left.”

Opal hummed in thought, squinting to look at her target. Based off of the holes in the tree behind it she was missing low nearly everytime.

“So you’re saying if I’m missing low try to aim a bit higher?”

“Exactly. But if you’re missing low then that generally means you’re not lining your eyes up directly with your sights. Get back in position for me.” Opal did as instructed and Korra scrutinized the form with her eyes. She grabbed one of Opal’s arms and lifted it slightly higher before nodding her approval. “Alright. When you feel comfortable, shoot. Don’t forget to breathe.” Korra stepped back and a few seconds later Opal shot her weapon. Sparks flew from the bottom of the sign and the grin that broke out on the younger vault-dwellers face made it seem like she had just won a million caps.

“Yes! Fucking yes!” She yelled out in victory, flinging her arms into the air. ”Fuck you.” The woman shouted, pointing at the target down range. “And fuck you.” She repeated, pointing at the top of the tree that she had hit her first few times firing. “And fuck you too.” She pointed at Asami this time, giving her friend an exaggerated wink.

The heiress arched a slim eyebrow in amusement before lifting her own weapon, aiming down the sights, and firing in a matter of seconds. The shot hit just left of the center of the target and the heiress glanced back at Opal with a bemused smirk.

“Good job, Opal. Now just hit your target 11 more times and you’ll be caught up with me.”

Opal stuck her tongue out, that grin never fading.

“I won’t let you bring me down.” The woman responded, doing a little jig where she was standing. The entire group chuckled at her antics, shaking their heads as they all took position to shoot at their targets. Now that the woman had the basics down it simply took time and practice to get better.

The group had found a decent area not too far from Goodneighbor to practice in. There were plenty of targets, ranging from billboards to street signs, and if the silence of the area had anything to say about it, it was abandoned.

The group continued their practice, Bolin and Korra offering their advice every now and then to help the vault-dwellers perfect the art of gun shooting. Opal wasn’t catching on nearly as fast as Asami had, but by the time they had finished their training session she had enough skill to possibly come out if a fight with only a few bullet wounds.

“Well, I think we blew through enough bullets to piss Mako off for a little while. Do you guys wanna head back?” Korra adjusted the suppressor on her pistol idly and Asami smiled inwardly at the sight. She was happy Korra was making such good use of her gift. Ever since they left Goodneighbor the tanned woman had laid off on her flirting. It was a sigh of relief to Asami. She still wasn’t entirely convinced at Korra’s sudden change in heart. And her best friend would need to be interrogated later for the part she was playing in the suddenly “domestic Korra”.

As far as Asami was concerned, Korra’s intentions were simply to lock her down, fuck her, then dump her. She was a conquest to be claimed and afterwards would be tossed to the side. She hated thinking that way about the woman. Korra certainly had shown a few times that she was capable of possessing genuine feelings, but her actions had otherwise turned the heiress off to any possibility of a future together. Not to mention the sudden and abrupt declaration of desire. Was it simply coincidence that Korra had asked to become an item RIGHT after Asami admitted she wouldn’t just sleep around? Not a chance.

“That’d probably be best. I’m sure Mako is enjoying puppysitting all day.” Bolin added sarcastically, tucking his weapon away before taking Opal’s weapon and holstering it in his spare. He then grabbed her now free hand, a slight blush coloring his cheeks as he did so. The sight was not lost on Asami and she had to physically bite her tongue to keep from making a comment that would further embarrass the man.

The heiress slid the gun to the back of her shorts, careful to make sure the safety was on before she did so. She wasn’t entirely comfortable with having her weapon hang so freely but until she got her own weapon holster the position would have to do.

“Should we hold hands too?” Korra asked with a grin, extending her free hand out for the woman to take. Asami simply stared at it, her face not giving away the rampant thoughts going through her mind.

“No.” She stated sternly before brushing pass the hand and walking behind the couple. She didn’t look back to gauge Korra’s reaction. She wasn’t going to be won over that easy. Korra’s small signs of affection earlier may have caught the heiress by surprise but now that she was onto her game she would be more aware.

“Wait, what’s that?” Opal’s voice interrupted Asami’s thoughts and her sight drifted to the direction Opal was looking. Not too far from them was a group of three people, one wearing what Asami immediately recognized as power armor. Her green eyes widened in awe at the sight. She had only seen pictures and videos of people in this amazing suit of armor and never thought she would actually live to see it in person. Her interest in the metal body armor had piqued to the point she had dreamed of building her own set, simply to say she had done it. Unfortunately the materials were never readily available to her.

“Oh god. Not these douchebags.” Korra groaned behind them but Asami’s eyes never drifted from the approaching group. The armor was painted over with a unique insignia and the people beside the giant were also dressed in uncommon clothing.

“Hail, civilians.” The man in the power armor spoke, addressing their group. The woman in the trio seemed friendly enough, a small smile on her lips. The other man, on the otherhand, wore a severe scowl, lifting his gun protectively in font of him.

“Holster your weapons or I’ll deem you as a threat.” The man growled and Asami was taken aback by the sudden onslaught of aggression. Ofcourse Korra answered in kind, lifting her own weapon with narrowed eyes.

“Excuse me? The only threat here I see is you. Lower your fucking weapon first.” The woman spat back, daring the man to react. Asami was at a stand still, torn between drawing her own weapon or simply remaining where she was.

“Knight Rhys, port arms and remain at ease. We’re not here to pick a fight.” The man in the power armor requested and surprisingly, the man complied. “Now you. Or else we really will consider you a threat.”

Korra didn’t comply immediately and Asami rolled her eyes, frowning sternly at the tan woman.

“Korra. Put your weapon down before you get us in trouble.” The heiress demanded and after a few moments of silence Korra begrudgingly obeyed.

“I appreciate your willingness to comply. We heard shots in this direction and could only assume there were hostiles in this area.”

“We’re not hostile. We simply took advantage of the abandoned area to get some well-needed practice in.” Asami added while taking on her professional persona.

“Copy that. Now I’d like to get back to our original reasoning for approaching all of you in the first place. Scribe Haylen.”

The woman in the group stepped forward, pulling a folded map from her pocket and presenting it to the group.

“We received some bad intel on our current objective location. We were wondering if any of you could point us in the direction of Wilson Atomatoys Corporate HQ? Any help would be very much appreciated.”

Bolin stepped forward, taking the map from the woman and unfolding it. “Oh I can mark it on your map for you. You’re not too far. It’s just a little more southwest from here. What are you going there for, anyways?”

“That’s classified information, civilian.” The man in the power armor spoke up again and Asami caught Korra rolling her eyes out of the corner of her eye.

“Well, if you don’t mind my asking, could you tell me how you got ahold of T60D power armor? Even with the paint I can still see it’s in great condition. I’d love to find some for myself and pick it apart.” Asami offered a genuine smile, hoping the man would feed her some information.

“That’s quite an accurate observation, ma’am. I’m surprised you could tell the type of power armor I was wearing so easily.” Despite the lack of surprise in his voice the man had raised eyebrows, indicating his astonishment. “T60B power armor is standard issue in the Brotherhood of Steel. As a paladin I receive the upgraded T60D. But that is all the information I’m able to reveal to anyone outside the Brotherhood ranks.”

“Brotherhood of Steel?” Asami flipped through her memory banks to try and recognize an organization that goes by such a name. She couldn’t recall hearing anything in her learning that mentioned this group.

“The Brotherhood of Steel is a technological military order operating across post-war North America. We search for new and old technology to advance our war against the undesirables of the wastelands.”

“So you’re like the army?” Opal added, finally breaking her silence.

“In a sense. We strive to enhance mankind and bring order back to our nation.”

Korra scoffed loudly, folding her arms over her chest.

“Don’t listen to him. These guys are nothing but bullies. They don’t help people like us. They’re just in it to make themselves stronger.”

Asami could see Rhys opening his mouth to retaliate but the power armor man beat him to it.

“By making ourselves stronger we can increase our range and mobility to better help the people of this land. We do not threaten or harm innocent civilians. But we heavily encourage them to further our cause.”

“And what exactly do you consider undesirables?” Asami quickly added, thwarting Korra’s opportunity to start an argument.

“Anything that threatens the peace of mankind. Supermutants, ghouls, raiders, synths. Anything that could bring harm to peaceful humans.”

The cogs slowly began to turn in the heiress’ mind, humming quietly to herself in thought. She barely registered the Scribe of the group interrupting their conversation.

“Paladin Danse. If I may speak, sir.”

“At will, soldier.”

“Now that we have the information we need I suggest we try and get there as quickly as possible. It would be best to be in and out before it gets dark.”

“Affirmative.” Danse nodded before looking back at the group. “Thank you for your assistance in our confusion. It’s appreciated. In the meanwhile I implore you to consider joining our brotherhood, we could always use an analytical mind like yours.” He was speaking directly to Asami this time and she smiled at the thought. A group of people in power armor finding and creating new technology? That sounds right up at her alley.

“I will. I’ll be in contact.” The group bid their farewell before continuing and Asami was suddenly buzzing with energy. She had never expected such a powerful group of people to be out here. And even better she could actually pursue her knowledge of different technology if she managed to get in. Suddenly the end of her journey didn’t seem so bleak with confusion.

“You can’t be serious.” Korra stared at her in disbelief. Asami arched her eyebrow in confusion.

“What do you mean?”

“You’re seriously considering joining them?”

“Why wouldn’t I? Engineering is what I know best and their group literally revolves around technology. That’d be the perfect group for me to join.”

“They’re not what you think, Asami. They don’t really care about the little people like us.” Korra huffed out in defense.

“Well, maybe one day I can make them care. Who knows, maybe I’ll charm my way to the top. And I’d love to get my hands on a pair of that power armor.”

Asami could see Korra’s expression morph into anger and Asami quickly prepared for a fight. Surprisingly Korra said nothing more, her visage easing back into one of annoyance. The heiress was impressed with the woman’s ability to reel back her bite, though she’d never admit it out loud.

“If you join them then you won’t be able to see us anymore.” Korra finally added, her voice a bit quieter. Asami was surprised at how strongly the words struck her. Nevertheless she kept up her calm façade.

“I’ll make time, it’s not like I’m joining tomorrow. We’re going to see this through then I’ll start considering it more seriously. Besides, I’m sure Opal will be in good hands if her and Bolin are still together at that point.”

Korra’s eyes darted across the vixens face nervously, her hesitance noticeable in her demeanor. “What about me?” The woman finally added, offering a small, lop-sided smile while her eyes gleamed with a spark of hope.

The question caught Asami off guard and she had to suck in a breath through clenched teeth. She honestly hadn’t considered the possibility. She said she’d make time to see Korra, but that hadn’t entailed them being together romantically like Korra was implying. After a long pause the heiress sighed loudly, meeting Korra’s gaze sadly.

“Korra…”

The shorter woman instantly lost her smile and trailed her blue eyes downwards, hands shoving into her pockets as she slouched her shoulders. Asami was shocked to see how just her name could instantly turn the woman’s mood. Before Asami could continue any further Korra turned on her heel and began to sulk off towards Goodneighbor, leaving the rest of the group to follow in her tracks. She sighed inwardly, moving up next to Bolin to talk with him while Opal moved up to talk to Korra.

“Hey Bo. Mind if I bug you for a second?”

“’Course not. What’s on your mind?” The man attempted to offer a bright smile but she could tell he was distressed at Korra’s behavior.

“If you’ve got this Brotherhood of Steel willing to take out raiders, how come you haven’t enlisted their help to get rid of Zaheer?” It was a legitimate question. If there was an entire army dedicated to protecting the people and offering to take out raiders it seemed like the most likely solution.

“Well… Korra wasn’t completely wrong when she said they don’t help out the little people. We really have no way of getting in contact with them. They’re always so mysterious. And besides, they wouldn’t consider the Red Lotus a big enough threat to worry about. I mean, I’m sure we could get a few of them to help us out but that wouldn’t be nearly enough. And most are more concerned with their pursuit of technology. That’s just how it is.”

“That doesn’t seem right… How can they say they’re here to help out mankind if they’re not actually helping?”

“I think they’re focusing more on the bigger picture. They’re here to help mankind get back to how it use to be. They don’t have time to worry about settlement squabbles.” The man shrugged his shoulders helplessly and Asami was appalled that he accepted the answer so easily. If they have the power to help it only made sense to Asami that they offer assistance. Or perhaps that was just her naïve mind getting the best of her. “It’s better to just not think about it too much. If we find Hiroshi it’ll make everything better. We can handle this on our own.” The man offered a wide grin and Asami reluctantly agreed.

“So. Next topic. Since when did your girlfriend and Korra get so close?” Asami mused, watching the two in front of them chat enthusiastically. Apparently Opal could change Korra’s mood in a matter of minutes.

“I dunno. I supposed it was a girl thing.” Bolin responded nonchalantly. If Asami hadn’t known Opal’s sexuality she would assume the two were flirting with the way they giggled at one another. It was both sweet and unsettling all at once. She forced any negative feelings towards the sight to the back of her mind. She had decided her stance on their relationship and she was sticking to it. No matter how much it hurt both her and Korra in the process. It was for the best.

“So you’re saying you haven’t noticed that after Opal and Korra had spent the day together suddenly Korra is being all lovey-dovey with me? You’re not suspicious of that at all?” Asami pestered the man, hoping to reveal some secrets from him.

“Eh. I choose not to pay attention.” As unbelievable as the response was Asami couldn’t help but trust it. Bolin didn’t seem like the type that would lie easily. Maybe he really was clueless to their ongoings. “Why don’t you just ask them yourself?”

“If they wanted me to know they wouldn’t be so secretive about it. Besides, I know Opal won’t tell me. And everytime I talk to Korra I just end up hurting her feelings. There’s really no point to it.”

“Well you’re a genius. Figure it out.” The man teased with a light bump to her shoulder.

Asami frowned in response. If it was so easy to figure out she wouldn’t be asking around, damn it! If he was going to tease her she’d dish it right back.

“Fine. Final question. Have you and Opal done it yet?” The man’s eyes bulged at the sudden question, apparently choking in his own saliva at the abruptness. Asami smirked triumphantly, attempting to gauge his response by his reaction.

“N-no!” He finally stuttered out, his face flashing several shades darker. He looked anywhere except at the heiress. She hummed quietly in delight.

“Can you look me in the eye and say that?”

The man slowly turned his head, green eyes meeting one another as he continued to speak through his embarrassment. “No… We haven’t done, um, it yet.” He mumbled out, lowering his voice to keep from alerting the women in front of them.

“Then why are you acting so nervous about the question?” The vixen continued to press as her smirk grew.

“Because, well…” His eyes darted around and he leaned forward slightly, his voice lowering to a whisper. “I really want to. But I don’t know if she’s ready.” His eyes widened at the end of the statement like he was surprised he admitted it out loud.

“Bolin… she’s like a sexual deviant. I have no doubt she’s ready.” Asami chuckled at her own response, feeding off the fact the mans’ face had grown even redder, if that were even impossible. Maybe a week was too soon to be jumping into bed with someone you barely knew but Asami recognized that they were all young, sexually active adults. Urges needed to be satisfied and it wasn’t as if she wasn’t trying to jump in bed with a stranger yesterday.

“I just don’t know how to get the mood right.” As the man glanced downwards Asami’s eyes suddenly widened in realization. She could have slapped herself for how ignorant she was being.

“Bolin. Are you a virgin?”

The man only nodded slowly, refusing to meet her gaze. Asami reigned in her desire to sweep the man in a hug at how adorable he was being. It would make sense that this lovable oaf would have saved himself for the right girl.

“That is so adorable. Well, if I can give you some advice?” Finally the man raised his green eyes towards her curiously. “Just be yourself. You’ll know when the mood is right. But preferably while you two are alone. I don’t want to be scarred.”

“You don’t think she’ll judge me for not being experienced?” His genuine concern for his lack of sexual experience had the heiress smiling adoringly at him.

“Ofcourse not. As a matter of fact, she’ll probably be honored you’d like to share your first with her. How old are you? 19?”

He nodded in response.

“Not everyone is as sexually active as Korra at that age. You shouldn’t be ashamed.”

“What do you mean?” He asked, suddenly bewildered by her statement.

“Err you shouldn’t be ashamed because you’re a virgin?”

“No. I mean about Korra. She’s not 19.” Asami’s eyes widened at the statement. She had just assumed.

“You mean she’s younger than 19 and she’s got all these women hanging around?” Asami’s eyebrows scrunched in confusion. The age and information she knew about Korra wasn’t adding up correctly.

“Korra is 24.” Bolin stated matter-of-factly and Asami’s eyes nearly bulged at the revelation. Korra was older than her? Older than all of them? And she acted like THAT? Suddenly the timespan for her relationships and her age began to mesh together more smoothly. But still, Asami would have never figured the woman to be older. Then again, she never really did ask.

“Oh. Wow.” Asami could barely hide her surprise. The sudden age gap was really fucking with her. And she wasn’t sure why. “I’m surprised she acts the way she does if she has that many years on us.”

“Well she can be serious when she wants to be. And mature. You just don’t see it often. Only when it really matters.” Asami hummed in response, recalling the brief moments when she could look at Korra as more than a lecherous idiot.

“I guess I can only imagine her as the gun slinging, foul-mouthed pervert that I’ve experienced so far. Maturity might actually look good on her if she tries.”

“It actually doesn’t. It kinda freaks me out. Believe it or not she’s pretty smart. She only puts it to practical uses, though. She doesn’t use her brain when it comes to, say, peoples feelings.” Bolin shot a smirk at the woman beside him and Asami narrowed her eyes back at him.

“What’s that suppose to mean?”

“For example, say there’s a girl she’s interested in. And it’s plainly obvious the girl likes her back, but that girl’s not willing to just sleep around. She wants a commitment. It’s unmistakable to everyone except Korra. It’s like Korra has been sleeping around so long she just can’t fathom that somebody would want something serious from her.”

“Then that wouldn’t be the girls fault. It would be Korra’s for not recognizing that she is desired. Or just choosing to blatantly ignore it.” Asami shot back.

“I agree. But say Korra doesn’t actually feel like she’s at fault, right? Has that girl voiced that she is uncomfortable with the player lifestyle?”

“Ofcourse not. Because it isn’t her place to expect something out of a girl she barely knows.”

“Then that girl has no right to be upset if the behavior continues.”

“Okay but even if she doesn’t voice it it could still be obvious in her attitude.”

“Fair. But has Korra made it obvious that she is aware of what’s causing the sudden change in attitude?”

That question forced Asami to pause in mid response. To her it was obvious. To most people it would be obvious. But in Korra’s defense, Asami had never verbally announced her distress. Nor had Korra shown any guilt at what she was doing. Asami had just assumed Korra was being a pompous asshole.

“On top of that.” Bolin continued. “What if this girl was raised in a different environment? Maybe what Korra is doing is normal to people where she’s from and it’s not normal for the other woman. It’s till not Korra’s fault.”

Asami remained silent, contemplating the truth to his words. He did have a point. Based off of what she’s seen so far it didn’t seem like being THIS oblivious was a wastelander norm. But that didn’t stop Asami from quietly chastising herself for not even giving it that much thought. A conceited snort to her side showed Bolin wearing the biggest, smug grin she had ever seen on his features. He was clearly impressed with himself.

“I don’t like you being philosophical on me you cocky shit. Go back to being a big goof ball.” Asami scolded with a small smile. Apparently all she needed was a little outside perspective to get her shit together.

“That’s Mr. Cocky shit to you.” He shot back but threw his arm over the woman’s shoulder in a gentle side hug. In this moment of clarity and comfort, Asami wouldn’t have traded this contentment for anything.


	18. Benign Intervention

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> To my readers... I apologize for the delay in this update! It was one thing after the other but here it is! 14k words. This was a prompt given to me by one of my loyal readers. And to you... I apologize again for it taking so damn long. I hope this was worth the wait! And thank you all for your concern and kind words for my sickness. Thankfully it was just a cold but... I'm a big baby when I'm sick. Whoops.

A week had passed since her run in with the brotherhood. Asami had been giving joining their ranks serious consideration. If a group with that much power put it to good use then they could really make a difference in not only this area, but the entire world. All they needed was a little push. She’d never admit that working around power armor was also a huge factor in her consideration.

She wasn’t surprised when Opal gave her blessing and support to her idea. Opal had always been one to back her up instead of fight her. And really it was only her best friend’s approval that she was fighting for. Secretly, though, she had hoped Bolin and Korra would have been more enthusiastic about the idea. Despite them not being as close as her and Opal, both had earned a special spot in her life. Bolin for his childish and innocent attitude, and Korra for her head strong and playful nature. She hoped after all this they would all remain in contact.

The heiress busied herself with studying and reading the books she had snatched from the library. They were all living relatively easy with all the caps the group had managed to snag together. Truthfully Asami had seen very little of the rest of the group in the last week. They all had their own ways for killing time and none of them involved sitting around and being a bookworm, thus leaving Asami to her own devices. Every now and then Korra would sit beside the heiress and let her ramble about the “unbelievable” and “mind-blowing” texts she had read. She would get so lost in her own speeches she would barely notice Korra’s eyes glazing over from boredom. Despite that fact the tanned woman never voiced any complaints and for that she should be commended.

Today was apparently no different. While Asami lost herself in her current book she barely noticed the couch shifting beside her until she glanced to the side and was met with that bright, lop-sided smile she had grown fond of.

“Well? What’s on today’s list, nerd?” Korra spoke while giving the woman’s arm a gentle pinch. Asami responded by slapping her hand away, feigning a scowl.

“You know you might actually like some of these books if you’d give them a chance.” She scolded, waving the book around dramatically.

“Yeah but if I read them then I don’t have a reason to talk to you about them.”

“We could talk about the book together?” The heiress mused with an arched eyebrow.

“Nah. I’d much rather have you do all the work.“

“Do you want me to tell you about this book or not?”

“Yes ma’am!” The woman exclaimed excitedly, scooting close enough for their legs to be touching. Korra peered curiously at the book while Asami began to ramble aimlessly. Not too long ago the close contact would have annoyed and frustrated the heiress but eventually she allowed Korra these small luxuries. It wasn’t lost on her how well-behaved Korra had been since their encounter with the Brotherhood of Steel. She kept her touches chaste, resorting to faint hand brushing or easily concealed flirtatious comments. And as far as Asami could tell Korra had completely abandoned her player lifestyle, or she atleast hid it well. If the wastelander wasn’t busying herself with useless tales of Asami’s readings she was busy buddying it up with Opal or supporting Naga in her recovery. The entire transformation was noticeable.

“Wait so they burn books? What the hell does that have to do with the title?”

“Well, paper burns at 451 degrees Fahrenheit. So it actually makes a lot of sense.”

“How would someone like me know something like that?” Korra’s clear concern over something as simple as a book title had the heiress chuckling in amusement.

“Well, if you would just read the book you would figure it out on your own.”

“It’s way more fun watching you talk about it, though.”

“Watching me? Don’t you mean listening to me?” Asami’s eyebrows scrunched in confusion at the statement.

“Kind of. When you talk about your books you get into it. Your eyes light up and you smile and it’s just a bunch of crazy emotions and I like seeing you be so passionate about this stuff. That’s why I want you to tell me about it all the time.”

Asami’s face lit up in a light blush and she attempted to slide some stray hair behind her ear to conceal the appearance. She hadn’t known Korra had paid such close attention to her. “Even if you’re falling asleep? And don’t say you haven’t.”

Korra’s wide grin told Asami she had no intention of hiding the fact that she might have dozed a few times. “Your voice is soothing. Puts me at ease and makes me sleepy.” To punctuate her statement she leaned over and pressed her lips to a warm, light pink cheek.

Asami cleared her throat, forcing her embarrassment to the back of her mind to chastise the woman next to her with a glare. Korra responded by lifting her hands in the air innocently.

“It was a friendly kiss! A kiss between friends!” She argued with a wide, mischievous grin that spoke the complete opposite of her words. “Don’t you and Opal kiss on the cheek? It’s just like that.”

“No. No we don’t.” Asami stated pointedly, waiting for a better explanation from the woman. Yes, Asami had allowed her a little more room to flirt, but that didn’t entail kissing of any kind.

“Wait, seriously? Bad friends.” Korra scolded, planting a faux frown on her lips. “I’ve kissed Bo and Mako before.”

“Well kudos to your little love triangle but that isn’t how we do it in the vaults.” Truth be told Asami wasn’t sure if people actually did kiss as friends in the vault but that was her only defense at this point.

“Fine. Fair enough. Let me make it up to you?” The tanned woman’s lips eased back into a smile and Asami lifted her eyebrow curiously. “How about after we finish story time we go out and I buy you a Nuka-Cola.” Korra waggled her eyebrows, knowing that just recently Asami had been introduced to the amazing taste of the soda drink. It was now her weakness.

“…the cherry one?” Asami’s eyes widened and became puppylike, like she was pleading for the answer to be yes. Korra only chuckled at the sight.

“Yes, the cherry one.” At the revelation Asami was almost willing to forgive Korra for anything bad she had ever done to her. Almost.

Asami grinned widely and got comfortable in her seat again, beginning to ramble on once more about the story. She was about 15 minutes in before she felt Korra’s head lean on her own shoulder. She had assumed the woman was simply getting comfortable until moments later she heard light snoring.

Green eyes glanced to the side to see the other woman sleeping away peacefully and using her shoulder as a pillow. Korra’s normally rambunctious demeanor was quickly replaced by the innocent sleeping beauty resting next to her. Asami’s lips twisted upwards in a soft smile before she rested her cheek against the top of Korra’s head and continued reading her book in silence.

A good 30 minutes went by before Asami’s quiet reading was interrupted by a snuffling noise, indicating to her the woman beside her was beginning to rouse from her slumber. Asami lifted her head to allow Korra the freedom of movement and it wasn’t moments later that Korra was sitting upright and stretching her joints vigorously, accompanied by a loud groan.

“Have a nice nap?” Asami mused while trailing her eyes over the stretched flesh, exposing the well-toned muscles beneath.

“Mm yeah. Sorry ‘Sams, guess I fell asleep again.” The wastelander smiled apologetically as she glanced at the vixen but Asami was too enraptured by how light Korra’s eyes always were after she wakes up. Not to say her eyes weren’t always a light blue, but for some reason after sleeping Korra’s eyes almost seemed translucent. It was a truly breathtaking sight.

“It’s fine. You still owe me that drink and that’s all that really matters.” Asami stated with a grin, clapping her book closed as a sign that she intended for this drink to happen very soon.

“’Course it is.” Korra yawned before peeling herself from the couch and doing various stretches to get her joints moving again. Asami, on the other hand, had different plans and was growing more impatient by the second. She could practically taste the Nuka-Cola on her tongue already.

“Come on!” The heiress urged, grabbing the other woman’s hand absent-mindedly as she tugged her along, hastily leaving their room and being greeted by muggy wasteland air moments later.

“Geez, slow down woman. The drinks aren’t going anywhere.” Despite Korra’s protests she was grinning and Asami couldn’t help but smugly think that it was because they were holding hands. Maybe she could weasel her way into two drinks instead of one.

Barely a minute passed by before they were standing in front of a street vendor who was selling the delicious drinks. Asami felt like a kid in a candy shop, eyeing her options greedily despite knowing what flavor she planned on getting.

The vendor itself was kind of shady but the product was completely worth the possible diseases she would acquire from buying it from this place.

“Two cherry Nuka-Colas.” Korra stated while handing over the correct amount of caps. For a very brief and selfish moment she thought Korra had actually got her two drinks. But then reality kicked in and Asami was forcefully reminded that other people need to drink to survive as well.

As the man handed over their drinks Asami forced herself to sip and enjoy the cool, sugary liquid sliding down her throat rather than chugging it greedily. There must have been some sort of addictive drug in this stuff to make it so damn appealing. Appealing enough to almost forget her manners.

“Thank you, Korra.” Asami stated with a smile and the other woman simply shrugged in response. They walked around while silently sipping at their drinks. There was nothing awkward or uncomfortable about this silence. It was a pleasant, companionable quiet.

“I told you I’d pay me caps the next time I win me fight! Don’t be an arse and give me my fix!” A voice with a very thick accent echoed down one of the alleyways but Asami paid little mind to the interaction. She didn’t want to get involved in some shady business down an alley. Apparently Korra had different thoughts on the matter. The wastelander stopped at the mouth of the alley and stared down at two people having a rather heated argument.

“Korra. Come on, let’s go.” Asami urged but blue eyes remained fix on the woman in the alley. Before Asami could forcefully peel the woman away the other woman noticed them standing there and reached out to them verbally.

“Korra! Thank me wits you’re here. Could you spot a few caps? You know I’m good for the money I just need me fix to get through this next fight.”

Korra didn’t say anything and Asami took this opportunity to get a better look at the woman in question. She was wearing what appeared to be a cheap, worn lather vest. She had red hair with a few freckles painting her face and dark green eyes to complete the look. If Asami had to describe her in one word it would have been feral. Despite how beautiful the woman looked there seemed to be a certain edge and wildness to her eyes and demeanor.

Finally after moments of silence Korra reacted, but not in the way any of them expected.

“You.” She nodded her head towards the man in the alley. “Get out of here. You won’t be selling to her.”

“Fuck you.” The man growled but the sound quickly turned into a squeak when Korra branded her weapon, daring him to speak further. Without much else to say the man turned heel and escaped through the other end of the alley, choosing to live rather than fight for one of his customers.

“What’re you think you’re doing?” The woman yelled angrily, throwing her arms in the air.

“Cait. I thought you said you were trying to get clean? What happened to that?”

“I did try!” The woman argued, stomping towards Korra in her clearly agitated state. “But it hurt too bad. I felt sick to me stomach and I couldn’t even eat. I was dying.”

Asami felt like an awkward third man in this conversation, sipping idly at her drink as her eyes flickered back and forth between the women.

“Well ofcourse you’ll feel like you’re dying! That’s your body fighting the toxins!” Korra huffed out exasperatedly, shaking her head in disappointment. “What about all that Addictol you got?”

“It doesn’t work!” The woman’s voice raised into a shout again and for a moment Asami thought she would lash out in her withdrawal induced state. “It helps with the withdrawals but it doesn’t take away the cravings or the nightmares. And I need it to win me fights. I’m too weak without it.”

“Whose fault is that?” Korra stated sternly with a frown, clearly not budging on her opinion. “You can get another job but you choose not to! You’re not getting any sympathy from me.”

“Another job? Like whoring meself out like some common slut? Offering me cunt to any passerby so I can get a meal for the night? I’d rather die.” The woman spat back bitterly, her teeth grinding together agitatedly.

“Keep it up and that’s exactly what will happen.” Korra warned. Despite how brutal the words were Asami could tell this was Korra’s way of expressing her worry for this woman. Unfortunately the red head didn’t see it that way. Asami could see her fists ball up tightly, waiting to lash out like a coiled up snake. Asami quickly attempted to diffuse the situation by clearing her throat. She felt like a deer in headlights when both women turned their icy glares on her.

“Um… Hi. I’m Asami.” The heiress attempted at a friendly greeting but the other woman was far to upset to return the gesture.

“And?” The woman spat out again and Asami was almost sure she could see literal spit flying from the woman’s mouth in her distaste for the vixen.

“Right. Anyways. I might have a solution if you’re serious about getting clean.” Asami paused and sipped at her drink again, waiting to gauge the womens reactions. Both seemed surprised, confused and most of all, doubtful.

“And what might that be? And if you tell me lock me in a room until I’m bleeding and sweating out me arse I might punch you.” The woman stated bitterly and Asami whole-heartedly believed her threat. Korra stepped protectively in front of Asami, daring the woman to act on her statement. Thankfully Asami didn’t give her a chance to do so.

“Well no. That wasn’t what I was thinking. I just know about this vault that was literally created to help people with their addictions. I know where it’s at so I figured if you’re really serious about it I can point it out to you.” Asami took another causal drink from her Nuka-Cola, watching as the cogs literally turned in the womens heads.

“That’s bullshit. Nothing like that exists.” The woman argued but Asami could detect a hint of hope in the woman’s voice.

“It does. And I know it does. Because my great grandpa helped make the machine. It’s one of our greatest accomplishments. Now whether it works or not is a different story.” Asami shrugged and finished off the rest of her drink while Cait weighed her options. Asami was surprised how nonchalant she was being about this whole situation. And how willing she was to help a stranger who had just threatened her moments ago.

“And how do I know you’re not leading me into some kind of trap?” Asami felt sympathetic to the woman who was so wary of strangers that she had to question Asami of her intentions.

“We have a mutual friend.” Asami nodded towards Korra.

“And Asami wouldn’t do that. She’s a good person.” Korra added, attempting to reassure the red head.

“Pft. I’ve heard that before.” The woman argued but it was clear she was starting to give in to the idea. “What vault is it anyways? And how do you even know about it? The woman questioned suspiciously, eyes glancing over Asami in a challenging manner.

“It’s vault 95. And if I tell you how I know about it we’ll be here for a long time.”

“I’ve heard of that vault. Down south ways. A bunch of Gunner’s run the place nowadays. So we’ll be in for a hell of a fight.”

Asami’s eyes widened at the woman’s announcement. She had no intention of accompanying the woman.

“I think there’s a misunderstanding. I’m willing to show you where it is but I have no intention of going with you. I’m sorry, I really am. But fighting isn’t really my thing. I’ll just get in the way.”

“How do you expect me to run this machine? I’m not very good with technology and I can’t fight through all those Gunner’s on my own.” Cait’s eyes flickered over to Korra hopefully but the tanned woman also seemed hesitant on the idea. “You’re the one who’s been pushin’ me to get clean and now I’ve found me way out!”

“You know I’m always down to help you Cait, but you also know I’m no good with technology either. I wouldn’t know what to do if we actually got there.” Korra sighed heavily and rubbed the back of her neck anxiously. Asami frowned at their distress. She always bragged about how she was always for helping people but she had never expected to put herself in harms way to do it. Maybe that was the price to pay for being a wastelander. Maybe it was time to put on her big girl panties.

“Well…” Asami started but Korra quickly lifted her hand, shaking her head quickly.

“No. Nope. Not a chance.”

Asami lifted her eyebrow quizzically. “I didn’t even say anything?”

“But I know what you were going to say. And I won’t put you in danger like that.” Korra stated sternly but this only encouraged the heiress to fight back. Now she was definitely going, whether Korra liked it or not.

“You don’t determine what I do and don’t do.” Korra glared quietly at the heiress, attempting to sway her decision by a simple stare. Unfortunately for Korra, Asami wouldn’t be swayed so easily and the tan woman should have known better.

With a heavy sigh Korra slumped her shoulders, lowering her head like a dejected loser. “I don’t even know why I bother being protective over you. You literally do the opposite of what I say.” She mumbled quietly.

“Yup!” Asami stated happily, ruffling Korra’s hair playfully before she turned to Cait. “Well, guess you got your tech person with you now.”

Before Cait could speak Korra interrupted her, her voice still stern. “Asami you need to know something about this. It isn’t going to be like the jobs from the last week. We’re going into dangerous territory. There are going to be people -real people- shooting at us and trying to kill us. And I need to know you will protect yourself if you have to.”

Despite how obvious the answer seemed Asami had trouble answering. Despite her enthusiasm moments before she hadn’t clearly thought it all out. Did she just expect to sit back and hide while they did all the work? And what if they needed her help? It didn’t seem likely two girls would be able to take on an entire group of people. Hell, she couldn’t even keep her stomach from killing a ghoul, what would happen if it were a real person? Surprisingly, the thought wasn’t nearly as sickening as killing a ghoul.

“I think I can…” Asami started before stating more confidently. “I know I can. These people are bad people, right? They know what they’re doing is hurting others and they still do it. If I have to, I will kill them.” Asami was surprised at her own bold attitude. Then again, what it really came down to was consciousness and free-will. Ghouls didn’t ask or want to be turned into monsters and weren’t capable of controlling themselves. These Gunners? They were an entirely different beast.

Korra studied her quietly for a moment before relieving a heavy sigh, nodding her head in approval. Asami could only grin, glancing at Cait who didn’t seem nearly as excited as the heiress. There was almost a fear hidden in that strong gaze.

“Should we tell everyone else?” The odds of their success would increase significantly if they involved everyone else. Unfortunately Korra shook her head slowly.

“Um no. That probably wouldn’t be the best idea.” Korra added hesitantly.

“Why not?”

“Wellll..” The woman trailed and smiled awkwardly. “Cait and Mako have a bit of a… romantic past.” Asami’s eyebrows shot up at the statement. The fact Korra and Cait weren’t a former fling was surprising. Even more surprising was the fact anyone would want to be with Mako.

“Don’t put it so gently like that. We fucked and I took off with his caps and clothes.” Asami stared in stunned silence at Cait, not really having words for how blatantly she would admit to doing that. The woman seemed just as proud about her criminal behavior as Korra had been about all the women she slept with. Maybe it really was a wastelander thing.

“I guess that means they won’t be helping.” Asami murmured while attempting to change the topic. “When did you want to leave?”

“I don’t think I can make it much longer without me Jet.” Cait stated while scratching irritatedly at her arm. “We should leave now.”

“What? Now? How far is it?”

“About 5 hours.”

“By the time we get there it’ll be dark!” Korra argued, folding her arms over her chest in dismay. “That’s way too risky.”

“Christ Korra, when’d you become such a coward? Any other time you’d jump at this. Remember all the shite we use to get into it?” Cait smiled wickedly as she recollected their many misadventures.

“Well right now it’s not just me and you.” Korra grumbled, tightening her arms around her chest. “I don’t want Asami to get hurt. And I… I’d honestly like to make it out in one piece so we can talk more about her book…” Korra continued to grumble and if Asami hadn’t been listening so closely she would have easily missed the words. She still wasn’t sure if she had heard correctly but the possibility that she did indeed heard them right put a soft smile on her face.

Cait’s eyes flickered between the women and Asami knew that look all too well. She was going to say something highly inappropriate. Before Asami could stop her she was already speaking. “Since when do you do anything but fucking with a woman?” Anddd moment ruined.

Korra tensed, immediately becoming defensive again. “She’s different, alright? I don’t need to explain myself to you.” Cait raised her eyebrow bemusedly and Asami groaned loudly. This was going to be a very long trip if she was going to have to keep these two children from arguing the entire way.

“Alright you two that’s enough. Are we leaving now or not?”

Asami allowed the two to bicker it out. It grew serious enough to the point Asami was sure fists would start flying. How could these two even consider themselves friends? Eventually Cait won out by claiming they could sneak pass most of the Gunners due to the privacy of the night. Asami didn’t have the heart to tell her there would be lights on in the vault. They would all find out when they got there anyways.

Asami and Korra moved briefly back to their room to gather up their bags which were filled with ammo and other survival necessities. It was going to be long trip and they were well-prepared for anything that might come at them. Just as Asami was getting ready to leave the room she was pulled back by Korra grasping onto her wrist gently. She turned to face the shorter woman with a questioning stare.

“Asami I need you to make me a promise.” When Asami nodded her head in understanding Korra continued. “If shit gets too crazy or too serious I need you to get out of there.”

“Korra. They’re going to be shooting at us. As soon as we enter things are going to get crazy.” Asami chuckled quietly but only received silence in return.

“I’m serious Asami. These guys are fucking savages. They’ll probably just kill me and Cait but you… You’re absolutely beautiful. They won’t do away with you until…” The woman trailed and she didn’t need to finish for Asami to piece it together. The paler woman swallowed noticeably but didn’t back down. “Just please promise me, Asami. Even if you don’t mean it. It’ll just make me feel better.” Korra’s eyes were wide and pleading and there was no way Asami could refuse her.

“I promise Korra.” At the statement she was finally released from Korra’s hold. In the back of her mind, she almost missed the contact.

By the time they were about 30 minutes from their destination the sun was dangerously low and Cait was just as close to exploding from her irritable state.

“We should camp out for a few hours. Get some sleep. It’ll be a lot easier to infiltrate them if they’re all sleeping.” Korra reasoned but Cait seemed just about ready to argue anything, even her own name.

“No we need to get in there now. If we sleep we won’t wake up in time.”

“I can set an alarm on my watch. We can get up at 3 am. Not many should be awake by then.” Asami added helpfully, showing off her piece of jewelry. Cait grumbled her response before begrudgingly agreeing.

The group veered off the path towards a deserted cabin. Or what they hoped was deserted. Thankfully after some careful scouting and making sure there weren’t any overgrown bugs scouring about they decided to make camp.

The cabin was pretty much empty save for a broken chair and dresser. It was almost eerie how little furniture was present. Thankfully Asami was too tired to question what came of the cabins former dwellers.

“So we rest up for about 6 hours. Then get ready and kick some ass.” Korra lifted her gun from her holster and checked the magazine, making sure the weapon was loaded and ready for action.

Asami glanced at the dirty ground and frowned in dismay. Sleeping was not on their schedule so she didn’t properly prepare for the occasion. She didn’t bring her sleeping bag with her. As if sensing her concern Korra laid out her own sleeping mat -which was exactly that, a thin mat- and set it at Asami’s feet.

“What are you doing?” Asami asked inquisitively, though she could figure it out easily enough. But she wasn’t going to sleep on someone elses bed without their permission.

“What does it look like? You can sleep there.”

“And where do you plan on sleeping?”

“I’ll just sleep on the floor. I’m already dirty so it’s not like it matters.” Korra offered a wide grin and Asami rolled her eyes, smiling despite herself.

“I don’t care where you two sleep just shut up and do it.” Cait stated irritably before laying on the ground and falling asleep almost immediately. Apparently the woman was suffering from her withdrawals much more than anticipated.

“Korra I’m not going to make you sleep on the floor. Besides, I oddly remember a similar situation where you tried to coerce me into sitting on your lap for a comfortable spot.” Asami smiled at the memory while Korra’s grin turned wicked at the thought.

“I mean I still am the most comfortable spot. If you’re propositioning.”

Asami bit her lip in thought. On one hand she was still unsure about becoming too physical or flirty with Korra. She didn’t want to lead the poor girl on. At the same time she also didn’t want her to sleep on the uncomfortable, dirty floor. Or so she tried to convince herself.

“It’s not a proposition. Just an offer to keep you off the ground. That is if you can behave.” Asami chided but knowingly scooted over on the mat to offer the other woman space to lay down. And ofcourse Korra took the spot, plopping down beside the woman with that same silly smile.

“Ofcourse I can. I’m the most behaved child in the group.”

“Debatable.” Asami murmured as she yawned, setting her jacket beneath her head to suffice for a pillow. As soon as her head hit the leather she could feel her eyelids growing heavy. She barely registered the warm body scooting in close to hers and a protective arm laying over the small of her back before she fell into a comfortable sleep.

 

The sound of quiet beeping stirred the heiress from her slumber, her eyes fluttering open. The first thing she saw was that familiar, innocent face of Korra’s slumbering next to her, a small bit of drool present at the corner of her lips. Normally the heiress would be disgusted by the sight but somehow Korra made it look absolutely endearing. Asami lifted her hand and began to gently tickle the tip of Korra’s nose, earning a disgruntled snort from the other woman. Asami held back her chuckle as Korra slowly awoke, her eyes darting around to register her surroundings. It took only a moment for that dopey, albeit sleepy, grin to slide back on her face.

“Wow. I never thought I’d like waking up so much.” The woman’s voice was a bit hoarse from sleep and for a split second Asami couldn’t have agreed more.

“Even a charmer when you first wake up. What am I going to do with you?” Asami teased, smiling softly at her sleepy companion.

“I can think of one thing.” Korra whispered, her eyes darting down to Asami’s ruby red lips for a brief moment before lifting back up to her eyes. Thankfully the only light present in the cabin was a dimly lit lantern which would barely show the blush on the heiress’ cheeks. For a moment Asami considered the request before catching herself in her own thoughts. She chalked the sudden thought up to their most likely imminent death that would be happening soon.

Asami lifted her head suddenly and pressed a soft kiss to the woman’s forehead. She figured the gesture was innocent enough to be friendly but enough to sate Korra’s desire. “A friendly kiss. Remember?” Asami could have pat herself on the back for her quick thinking. She was a genius.

Korra’s eyes flashed with an unknown emotion before she smiled genuinely, chuckling softly at their predicament. “Damn right a friendly kiss. Now let’s wake up sleeping beauty over there.” Asami nodded and lifted herself up from the bed, glancing at Korra expectantly. Unfortunately the other woman was looking right back at her with the same gaze.

“Um I’m not waking her up.” Asami stated as if the response was obvious. Korra only huffed defiantly.

“I’m not waking her up either.” Korra argued, sitting up and staring into jade eyes. There was a clash of wills, each one urging the other to back down and take the fall. “She likes you more. She’ll punch me in the face.” Korra whined, attempting at her best puppy dog look. It was good, but not good enough. Not this time.

“She will fucking murder me. I’ll snap like a twig. Atleast you’ve probably been punched in the face before. I’ve never been broken in half.” Asami huffed, raising her eyebrow.

“Fine. Let’s play this. Rock, paper, muscles.” Korra flexed her arms with a cocky grin and Asami stared at her bemusedly. So that was how she wanted to play it?

“How about rock, paper, brains. Oh, looks like you lose. Now get in there, tiger.” Asami encouraged with a weak growl and cat claws.

“Rock, paper, seniority.” Korra grinned triumphantly and Asami only rolled her eyes. How the hell was this woman older than her? Time to bring out her kill shot.

“Rock, paper, height.” Asami stated smugly and grinned in victory when Korra narrowed her eyes. What she didn’t expect was for the shorter woman to lunge forward and practically tackle the heiress into the ground. Korra straddled her hips and held the woman underneath her with pure strength alone.

“Rock, paper, height.” Korra mimicked in an annoyingly mocking voice. She chanted the same words over and over before she began to assault the heiress’ stomach with her fingers, tickling the poor woman. Asami cried out in boisterous laughter, even allowing an unladylike snort to mix in with the giggling. Asami grasped blindly at the other woman’s hands to try and prevent the onslaught. After what felt like an eternity she finally managed to grab onto Korra’s wrists and stop the attack.

“K-Korra.” The heiress choked out between her remaining giggles. She could hear Korra chuckling above her and Asami peeled her eyes open to see the tan woman grinning down at her. Asami returned the smile whole-heartedly and suddenly there was a tense silence between them. Nothing uncomfortable, but enough for a lingering, unspoken thought to pass between them.

Blue eyes flickered across jade, a silent but heavy question ever-present in that stare. Unfortunately it was hard to take that question seriously with the remaining giggles not yet out of their systems.

The sweet moment was interrupted by a backpack hitting the back of Korra’s head, forcing her head to bend downwards on the impact. Korra groaned loudly and Asami glanced in the direction of the assaulting item to see Cait looking at them with an expression that could only be described as disgust.

“Shut up!” The woman growled, bringing her hand up to her head to rub at it achingly. “You two couldn’t even wait for me to be out of the cabin to screw? Ya animals.”

Normally the notion would have had Asami’s face red to her ears but her concern for the woman’s well-being captured most of her attention. Cait didn’t look good by any means. Asami never had to witness a person going through withdrawals, thankfully, but she had heard horror stories from them.

“We might have been if you hadn’t interrupted us.” Korra shot back with a scowl, recovering from her earlier surprise attack from the evil bag. Asami swatted her arm gently, encouraging the woman not to act out too angrily. It was obvious Cait was in pain.

“Well, now that everyone’s awake. How about we get this suicide mission going?” Asami stated as she slid from beneath Korra to stand up. Her clear lack of regard for her own well-being should have been a bit more concerning but for some reason she couldn’t help but feel like they were going to make it out of this alive.

“Alright here’s the plan.” The women all huddled together, staring into the dirty plans Korra was scribbling into the floor. “We’re not going in guns ablazing.” She shot Cait a glare before continuing. “We’re way outnumbered and don’t need to be risking our asses. So we’re gonna sneak our way in. In and out, quick and clean.” All the women nodded in unison. This was clearly the best course of action even without Korra having to explain it. “I don’t think they’re going to be expecting anyone to be stupid enough to try this so it shouldn’t be too much of a problem.”

“How do you expect us to sneak in through the front?” Cait asked with a scowl. Apparently calm and quiet was not her style.

“I’m just kinda hoping it won’t be heavily guarded.” Cait and Asami stared at the tanned woman silently, wondering if they had heard her correctly. Wouldn’t the front gate be the most heavily guarded?

Cait sighed heavily, rolling her eyes. “Well, we’re dead.”

Korra answered in kind, repeating the woman’s gestures. “I don’t see you coming up with anything better. Besides, I have a new toy that’s perfect for the job.” Korra grinned wildly and pulled out her PPK, suppressor already attached. Cait’s eyes widened slightly at the sight before she dismissed her excitement seconds later. “Then add a few more adjustments.” Korra murmured while digging in her bag and pulling out another cylinder completed with glass at both ends. Korra snapped it to the top of her weapon and wiggled excitedly. “Operation Stealth Overdose is in effect.”

“That’s a little bit morbid, Korra.” Asami added uneasily, glancing at Cait to see if the words might trigger her. She was a ticking time bomb. Thankfully she didn’t seem phased. Korra only shrugged in response.

Without further ado the group followed Korra out of the abandoned cabin and was greeted by darkness heavy with the smell and sound of rain.

“This is perfect. They’ll never see us coming.” Korra seemed far too enthusiastic about the prospect of playing in rain. Asami dreaded the idea. This rain was going to be no good for her hair.

“And how exactly is this perfect?” Asami groaned, already feeling the ends of her hair starting to frizz out at the excess humidity.

“’Cause if they have any dogs they won’t be able to smell us.”

“Yeah I suppose.” Asami grumbled as the group entered the now marshy land, hiking their way to their objective. The entire trip lasted about 30 minutes but the silence was palpable between all of them. There wasn’t even enough energy wasted on bickering between Korra and Cait. Each of them were focused in on their objective.

Finally after gathering enough mud on their bodies and being drenched by the rain they came upon the vault which was lit up from the outside by several lights. Thankfully the door was open already, check marking one more issue they might have faced with coming to a vault.

“It doesn’t look there are any patrols outside.” Korra murmured, ducking behind a bush while the other women followed suit.

“Probably because of the rain.” Asami added, green eyes flickering across the barely visible land.

“Alright ladies. Let me do my thing.” Korra slid out from her spot and began to bound away from the two women sitting in the rain. Korra was barely a blur in the oncoming droplets, hiding behind rocks and trees several feet away. Asami quickly lost her in the haze and instead focused her attention back on the vault opening. There seemed to be a metal structure in front of the vault so they could access it.

Several minutes later Korra returned, rain dripping from her loose tendrils of hair. She was looking more wild than Asami had ever seen her before, sporting mud splotches across her body.

“I see three Gunners, two Assaultrons and a turret.”

“How the hell did you see all that from way back here?” Asami asked incredulously. She didn’t believe that Korra had suddenly gained super vision. It was humanly impossible to see through all this rain.

“Glow-sighted scope.” She answered with a grin, lifting her gun in triumph. Asami wasn’t quite sure what that was suppose to be but she accepted the answer for now.

“And Assaultrons? I’m assuming you’re talking about robots? Like Mr. Gutsy’s?”

“Mr. Gutsy but extra deadly.” Cait answered.

“Well, if the hypothesis about them scanning by body heat is true then they’ll be easy to get pass.” Asami mused, glancing down at her already muddy pants.

“How do you figure?”

“If you thickly cover yourself in mud, then for a short time any thermal imaging will read the temperature of the mud, not your skin. But we need to be fast. Over time our body heat will start to warm up the mud and we’ll be noticeable again.”

“God you’re sexy.” Korra whispered beside her and Asami could barely hide her grin. It had been awhile since Korra had been so blunt and it was a refreshing surprise. It helped calm her down in this time of uncertainty.

“Sexy? We’re about to cover ourselves in mud you deviant. It’s a good thing the rain slowed.” Cait mumbled disdainfully, beginning to rub the mud across her arms and over her clothes.

“Make sure to lay it on thick to be extra safe.” Asami added before starting to lather herself in mud as well. The feeling of mud on her flesh wasn’t nearly as nasty as she was expecting but she was sure when it dried up she wouldn’t be feeling the same.

After the women were sufficiently dirtied they made their approach towards the vault entrance. As predicted, the Assaultrons standing at the front did not register their approach. Asami would be a liar if she said she hadn’t been holding her breath the entire time. Their lives had literally been resting on Asami being correct. The three of them took up positions not far from the entrance, hiding behind various trees.

“So what’s next?” Asami whispered, her eyes not once leaving the robots at the mouth of the entrance.

“I’ll make a distraction and get some of them to come out. Then I’ll kill them” Cait replied simply and Asami could have rolled her eyes at the absurdity.

“You plan on taking two robots and more? I don’t think so. Fire a gun and you’ll alert the whole damn vault.” Korra murmured as her eyes flickered across the ground.

“If the robots can’t see me they won’t attack me. I don’t need a gun to take out a couple of Gunners.” The woman retorted, cracking her knuckles.

“If you’re moving around too much your body heat will increase with the rate of your heart. The robots will see you and attack you.” Asami added, quickly shutting down her idea.

“It’s not too bad of an idea, though.” Korra mused as she twisted her gun around in her hand. “I can take them out with my gun. No body heat or nothing to give away my position.”

“Then let’s get this plan rolling.” Cait murmured as she bounded from her spot. Korra followed after her and it took only moments for the women to be lost to the darkness. Asami stared in their direction for a moment before returning her attention to the robots securing the front. She wasn’t sure what their plans were but what she was sure that she didn’t want anything to do with it.

After a couple of minutes of silence a loud ringing noise echoed through the silence. It sounded like a solid object striking metal. Both Assaultrons heads twisted in the direction of the noise. Moments later two men emerged at the front of the vault, both talking to one another but too far for Asami to make out their words. Both held weapons larger than she had seen before. The sight forced a pang of fear to strike through her chest. What were they really getting into?

A loud clacking interrupted her thoughts and both men looked to their right. The clacking continued until both men and robots started in that direction. Asami rifled through her memory banks to try and place the noise but it simply sounded like rocks banging against one another.

The four guards dissapeared into the tree line and it took everything for Asami to stay put, though she strained her neck and squinted her eyes to attempt to track the group. Barely a minute passed before two dark silhouettes emerged from the treeline. The mud on their bodies gave away who they were and Asami bounded from tree to tree to meet up with her companions.

“Where are the guards?” Asami whispered, following the woman as they trailed along the hill that led to the opening of the vault.

“Dead. But the robots aren’t so let’s get moving.” Cait whispered harshly.

The trio snuck silently up the metal slope, or as silently as creaking metal would allow them. Korra poked her head around the corner before turning to address them.

“One more guy. And the wall turret. Do you think this mud is still holding up?”

“I don’t see why not. But not too much longer.”

Korra nodded and peeked around the corner again before waving her arm sporadically in front of the entrance. When nothing happened she crept low and moved inside, motioning for the other two women to stay put. Asami drew her own weapon, holding it close to her body. The adrenaline was beginning to pump rapidly through her veins. Her confidence from earlier was wavering as they grew closer and closer to this enclosed space crawling with people waiting to kill them.

A quiet pew! Was heard before a thudding noise followed after. Asami could put two and two together. Moments later Korra was waving around the corner and motioning for them to follow. Both women did so without question, jogging along the metal ramp that led further into the vault. The sight was surreal and gave Asami a slight ache of homesickness. This entrance looked exactly like her own vault.

Asami kept her eyes forward, making out the sight of a slumped over body through her peripherals. Despite her overwhelming curiosity to look she forced her eyes to remain forward, staring directly at the wall turret which, as of right now, was not shooting them.

Once the women were out of shooting range they stopped to take a breath they all needed. Maybe Korra and Cait weren’t shaken up but Asami could barely suppress the small quakes from her body with the overwhelming adrenaline.

“Where to next?” Cait whispered while flicking mud from her body. It was a futile effort.

“Normally there’s a security room near the entrance. It should have camera access.” Asami murmured as she began to wipe off as much mud as she could. She ignored the stare shot in her direction by the Irish woman. She’d explain herself later if she had to.

As the women wove just a bit deeper into the vault Asami’s earlier prediction had been correct. Not far form the entrance was an entire room with machines and camera monitors. Thankfully the room was left unguarded, or atleast the guard wasn’t present at the moment.

“This is perfect.” Korra stated as she moved up to observe the cameras. Each one was labeled with the room they belonged to, but one camera in particular caught her attention. In the corner of one of the screens were the words “Clean Room”. There was no question this would be their destination.

“Well? Where to vault-dweller?” Cait stated as she stared directly at Asami. The heiress didn’t respond immediately. Even a person like Cait would have caught on eventually.

“There’s the room.” Asami pointed at the screen. “But not all vaults are built the same. I wouldn’t have any idea on how to actually get there.”

“Look at all that firepower.” Korra stated in awe, forcing all their attention to the other screens. Several guards along with turrets were located in various spots throughout the vaults. Apparently their earlier notion about the Gunners being asleep had been incorrect. Or maybe their numbers were far larger than anticipated. But something about the turrets seemed different.

“The turrets are off.” Cait stated, leaning in closer to the screens.

“Well that’s one less problem to worry about.” Korra said with a grin, standing upright in triumph.

Asami glanced to the side, observing the other spots in the room when her eyes fell on a terminal sitting in one of the corners. While the other women came up with a strategy Asami slid over to the computer, pulling up the access screen. Ofcourse it was password protected.

“Either of you know what their password would be?” Asami asked over her shoulder.

“Try ‘Gunner’.” Korra responded without even looking at her.

Asami rolled her eyes, clacking away at the keyboard. “They wouldn’t actually be dumb en-” The access screen popped up a second later and Asami quickly snapped her jaw shut. The snickering behind her indicated Korra knew exactly what had happened. The vixen wouldn’t bother turning around to address the most likely smug smile on the woman’s lips.

Several options popped up and Asami quickly scanned through them, clicking on the one that said ‘Turret Maintenance’.

-All turrets have been shut down temporarily until scanning issues have been resolved. Only a few soldiers were injured, none dead. We sent out a squad of men to round up some technicians from nearby settlements to resolve the problem. Travel time should only be a few days. Until then extra guards will be placed on night duty.-

Asami hummed quietly to herself. Scanning issues? So from what she could tell the turrets were simply turned off. It shouldn’t be too difficult to turn them back on.

“Got anything, ‘Sams?” Korra whispered beside her ear and the heiress jumped at the sudden closeness. Apparently her nerves weren’t quite steady yet. “Sorry.” The tanned woman grinned.

“Apparently turrets are down for maintenance. I can probably turn them back on but I’m not really sure what they will do. Said scanning problems.”

“So we can turn them on and kill them. Or we give away our position and it’s our arses.” Cait was clearly not impressed with this plan.

“And the other option is try and kill all of those guys ourselves. I’m onboard with the turret idea.” Korra glanced at the other woman, yet another battle of wills clashing between them.

While the women argued it out Asami entered the hacking screen to access the turret protocol. The hacking routine was just as difficult as she expected but within 5 minutes she was in and only a click of a button away from possibly reigning death upon her enemies. She wasn’t surprised to find out Cait and Korra were still arguing.

“Listen, you two need to make up your minds before someone comes along and finds us.” The room grew silent while Asami stared down at the button that would likely create a bloodbath within the vault walls. She was truly only a motion away from ending not one, but several lives. The thought sent her stomach flipping yet she stared determinedly down at the keyboard.

“Can you do it?” Asami glanced to her side to see Korra staring at her, blue eyes silently observing. The question was vague but Asami knew exactly what was being asked of her.

“Bad people, right?” Asami whispered, green eyes staring wantonly into sapphire.

“Very bad.” Korra confirmed, breaking eye contact to glance at the finger hovering over the ‘Enter’ button. Asami nodded and returned her attention back to her wavering hand. She desperately wanted to do this, desperately wanted to help rid the land of these bad people. Yet she hesitated. For being someone who was rushing the other two women not long ago she was sure taking her time deciding between this.

A tan hand slid over top of hers that hovered over the keyboard and Asami glanced to the side to see Korra staring back at her. Her smile held none of the mischief it normally did but was instead replaced with kindness and understanding.

“You don’t have to carry this burden alone. We can do it together and share it.” Korra encouraged, grabbing Asami’s hand and giving it a tight squeeze. Korra’s index finger slid beside Asami’s but other than that the woman did not pressure her or force her hand.

Asami inhaled deeply, returning her attention back to the keyboard before slowly sliding her hand down. Both their fingers pressed the button at the same time and the next screen popped up indicating all turrets were active.

Asami froze, chewing at her bottom lip anxiously. If this plan worked, she would likely kill several people. If it doesn’t, she will have very likely killed her group. The vixen slowly turned her head, staring at the screen monitors. There was no movement from the turrets and for a moment Asami feared she had doomed them all. Seconds later the turrets roared to life, several shouts of confusion and panic echoing down the halls to the security room.

The women stared silently as bullets began to burst forth from the gun turrets, hitting every person within range. Bodies dropped en masse, blood painting the walls and floors as men and women shrieked in horror. Asami lifted her hand to cover her mouth, her body shaking from the gruesome sight of the massacre she had ordered. She continued to tell herself silently that these people deserved this but even that reassuring thought didn’t stop the knot twisting in her gut. An arm slid around her waist but the heiress paid no mind to the touch.

“You don’t have to watch.” Korra whispered beside her but Asami only shook her head, her eyes never leaving the screen. After a moment of silence Asami finally lowered her hand form her mouth, swallowing back the overwhelming moisture in her mouth to speak.

“Yes I do.” She finally whispered, her eyes flickering across the screen as the movements along the monitors ceased. All that remained were the slight twitching of limbs and people attempting to crawl their way away from the death machines. The gadgets continued to move around but apparently there was no more ammo to be shot. Asami breathed a sigh of relief that it was finally over.

“Didn’t think ya had it in ya. Good job.” Cait stated as she passed by Asami, giving the vixen a congratulatory pat on the shoulder. Asami felt numb to the touch, staring blankly at the screens in front of her. “They shouldn’t be much trouble now that killer here has taken care of them. Let’s get this over with.”

“Cait.” Korra snapped. Asami sighed heavily and grasped at Korra’s bicep, finally tearing her gaze away from the screens to look at the tan woman. The heiress shook her head slowly, attempting to diffuse an argument before it happened. Unfortunately she was too late.

“What?” The Irish woman snapped back, turning to glare at Korra. “Why are you being so protective of her? She’s gonna have to open her eyes one day and see what’s really going on around here. Especially if she’s going to be with you.” At that the woman turned around and exited the small room, leaving Asami and Korra to silently stew on her words. It seemed the words were bothering Korra more than Asami.

“Come on.” Asami whispered encouragingly, tugging at the woman’s arm. Thankfully she obeyed, albeit silently. Asami clicked the deactivation command, all turrets turning off simultaneously before following after Cait. Their movements remained stealthy, weapons drawn in case of the unfortunate event that the survivors would be seeking revenge.

As they closed in on one of the doors that led to the cafeteria Asami could already smell the tinge of moist iron in the air. The aroma made her feel sick to her stomach. She was no stranger to blood, but in this quantity and with it lingering so heavily in the air she felt she could have vomited. But she forced the bile to remain in her stomach and instead opted to breath into her free arm sleeve. It did little to help the smell but just enough to not force the vomit.

The doors finally slid open and Asami visibly flinched at the sight of multiple bodies littering the floor and the sounds of painful moans from the survivors. Some were crying, others were gasping their last breaths, and most lay motionless.

The group stuck to the outside of the wall, hunched low to draw as little attention in their direction as possible. So far it seemed there was nobody unscathed in this room, thus making their sneak tactics much easier to conduct. Unfortunately the same couldn’t be said about the next room over. They could easily see through the windows some bodies standing over others with little to no wounds.

“Looks like we’ve got live ones. I’ll handle this meself.” Cait stated cockily. Asami opened her mouth to argue, or better yet, to persuade the woman from killing further. But the look Korra shot her said there was no point. The red-haired woman snuck pass the next door but Korra stopped Asami from following her in.

“She can handle those two.” As if to punctuate the statement a loud grunt was heard on the other end of the door along with a loud thud. Asami decided to just let it be. She didn’t have the strength or desire to put up a fight. “Some things you should know about Cait. She kills people for entertainment, it’s what she does. She has no qualms with these people dying. So it’s best to let her do her thing.”

Asami tried to force herself to focus on Korra’s voice rather than the strangled gasps in the room next to her. She could only imagine what Cait was doing to those men.

“How are you holding up?” Korra whispered, sensing Asami’s need to focus on anything except what’s happening. The heiress only shook her head in response. Words couldn’t possibly describe how she was feeling. How do you describe being the harbringer of a massacre? Or, maybe worse of all, not feeling nearly as guilty for it as she should have been. Sure, the sight of death was never pleasant, sickening even. But she was far more torn up about killing the feral ghoul than she was these people. The next thought forced a fearful shiver to run through her spine. __What if I’m just getting use to the idea of killing people?__

“You don’t have to do anymore. We’ll handle the rest.” The woman tried to reassure.

“Korra. I appreciate you being protective over me, but Cait was right.” Asami peeked over into the window, watching as Cait dug through the pockets of the lifeless bodies to scavenge what she could from them. “If I’m going to be with you I need to get use to this.” Asami didn’t catch the mishap in her statement until she glanced at Korra to see blue eyes practically glowing with the smile on her face. “I didn’t mean it like that.” Asami mumbled, forcing herself not to pout with her mistake.

Korra chuckled beside her, reaching over to grab Asami’s hand gently. “I know you didn’t. But it still sounded good.” Even Asami couldn’t help the small smile forming on her lips, giving Korra’s hand a gentle squeeze. “Now come on. Let’s get this over with. I wanna get back to Naga.” Asami nodded her agreement, finally stepping through the doorway into the next room.

“Where to now?” Cait stepped over to the duo, her hands stained red from blood along with her pants and shoes.

“The Clean Room should be over here. Atleast that’s what the sign says.” Asami pointed out, walking carelessly off in the direction the sign was directing. She felt a tug on her hand before she was pulled back, Korra stepping in front of her to lead the way instead. The heiress rolled her eyes but appreciated the gesture nonetheless.

“Just keep your eyes open. I doubt they’re all dead.” Korra whispered, sticking close to the wall and peeking around corners to be on constant surveillance for survivors. The fear of being found kept the adrenaline pumping through the heiress’ veins. It made the short walk to the Clean Room feel like miles. When their destination finally came into view Asami could have cried out in relief. By some miracle they ran into no survivors. Asami could only assume they ran off to save their own skin. She certainly couldn’t blame them.

“That has to be it.” Cait’s voice spoke out behind Asami and she rushed forward, peering into a lone room that held a single chair with some devices attached to it. A terminal sat outside of the room. Cait rushed forward, her eyes blown with both excitement and fear. The sight of the chair was certainly intimidating.

“Are you ready?” Korra glanced at Cait and the red-head simply nodded, walking silently into the room. The women watched apprehensively as Cait settled into the chair, her movements stiff and rigid. It was obvious she was terrified of the chair, or perhaps what it would do to her.

Asami stepped forward to the terminal and thankfully she found that it was unlocked and it would only take a few moments to enter the command prompt. Green eyes glanced up to stare at the woman in the room and found that Cait was staring right back at her.

“Wait!” The woman cried out, forcing Asami to pause in her ministrations. Korra and Asami stared at the Irish woman,waiting for her to continue. They didn’t have time to be wasting for second guesses. “I… I don’t know if I can do this.” A loud thump next to Asami caused her to jump, glancing over to see Korra had slammed her hands on the table and was glaring into the room.

“What do you mean you don’t think you can do this?” Korra shouted and Asami shushed her, urging her to keep her voice down. Now wasn’t the time to start arguing.

“You have to understand!” Cait argued, her voice wavering with the emotions. “I don’t know if I can face the rest of me life sober… I’ve always relied on me Jet to forget.” Asami frowned. Apparently there was more to this girl than meets the eye.

“Cait.” Korra stated sternly. “You not only put yourself in danger for doing this, but myself and Asami as well. You’ll die if you keep going like this.”

“I’ll die if I don’t have it!”

“No you won’t! You’re strong. You kill men with your bare hands. You live your life how you want to. Nobody controls you! Don’t let the Jet run your life.” Cait quieted at the statement, her eyes flickering across the glass. Without another word she nodded, indicating her permission to continue.

Asami glanced down at the keyboard and began clicking away, initiating the detox process. Green eyes lifted to watch as the chair began to respond. The needles at the side of the chair pressed forward, penetrating the woman’s neck. She groaned out in displeasure, followed by a series of painful moans. Asami chewed at her bottom lip, unable to tear her eyes away from the sight.

“God…” Korra whispered beside her, clutching at the table. Asami agreed silently. This was truly a horrid sight to behold. “What did I convince her to do?” Asami glanced to her side to see Korra sucking on her lower lip, her knuckles turning white with the grip she had on the table. A particularly loud shriek erupted from the room and Korra quickly shut her eyes, as if willing the other woman’s pain away. Asami reached over and ran her hand up and down Korra’s back soothingly, her eyes returning to Cait squirming helplessly in the chair.

“Can you stop it?” Korra continued to whisper, not bothering to even look at Asami.

“No. There’s no prompt to stop it once it begins.” As Asami finished her statement there was an eerie silence that followed. No sound of machinery, no painful moaning. Asami and Korra shared a quick look before rushing into the other room to check on the well-being of their companion.

“Cait. Are you okay? Can you hear me?” Korra grasped her shoulders and helped the woman sit up. At first there was no response and Asami feared for the worst. But then that heavily accented voice broke the silence, Cait looking up at both women hazily.

“I… me headache. It’s gone.” Asami lifted her eyebrow slightly. That was an odd choice of first words. “And the cravings. And the pain.” Her voice gained momentum, growing excited. It was as if the pain she endured moments ago had suddenly vanished.

“That’s… good?” Korra questioned, helping the to her feet.

“Korra, me head hasn’t felt this clear in years. Everything is just… clear.” She stated in awe, glancing around the room. Her eyes finally fell upon Asami and for the first time she grinned, a heart-felt, wide grin. It was a beautiful sight, if Asami did say so herself. “And you. You told me about this place. You brought us here. Thank you!” The heiress had to do a double take on those words. That’s probably the nicest thing the woman had said since they’ve met. Whatever that chair did to her, it was amazing.

“I’m happy to help. But I’ll be happier when we get out of here.” Asami was inching towards the door, encouraging the women to follow. The other two women chatted amicably while they exited the room, and it was the first time Asami had witnessed them getting along. It was about time. She was feeling more like a babysitter the more time they all spent together.

Once they got closer to the hallway the lingering smell of iron punched Asami’s nasal passages, forcing the woman to lift her sleeve again to filter out some of the putrid smell.

“Alright you two. I’m glad you’re finally getting along but keep it down. We still don’t know who’s lingering.” At the end of her statement Asami drew her pistol, holding it in front of her. The other two may seem lax but she certainly wasn’t taking chances.

“You can’t blame me for being excited. It’s like I’m seeing the world for the first time.” Cait added with enthusiasm. Asami had to force back a groan. It was almost better when she wasn’t talking as much, atleast for this situation.

“Move over nerd. I’ll block any bullets they try to shoot at your pretty face.” Korra grinned and gave Asami’s shoulder a gentle bump as she pushed pass her. The heiress simply snorted, giving the back of the other woman’s shoulder a shove in response.

“What? Does ugly curve bullets or something?” Asami smarted back.

Korra scoffed loudly, turning to face the offending woman. “Ugly? The ladies love my mug.” The tan woman sported a cocky grin for the briefest of moments before it dropped to a frown, her eyes widening in guilt. She swore under her breath before looking at Asami with her famous puppy dog eyes. “I’m sorry.” Asami lifted a slim eyebrow at the sudden apology.

“For?”

“I shouldn’t mention other women like that.” Asami had to stifle a chuckle but couldn’t suppress her smile at the comment.

“And why not?”

“’Cause if I want to date you I shouldn’t talk about other women. It’s not…” Korra stumbled on the word for a moment before deciding. “Faithful.”

This time Asami couldn’t help her chuckle, eyeing the woman curiously. “Korra. We’re not dating. You don’t need to worry about that.”

“Well yeah! Thanks for the reminder yet again.” Korra rolled her eyes but smiled nonetheless. “But I told you I’m showing you what I’m capable of. And Opal said-” The woman quickly cut herself off, snapping her jaw shut. At the mention of her friends name Asami’s other eyebrow shot up, staring at the woman bemusedly. “Well, I’ll tell you about it later. We should probably shut up and get out of here.” She added with a mumble, turning her attention back to the room littered with bodies. Before she got far Asami grasped her shoulder, halting her movement.

“I plan on holding you to that. And by the way.” The taller woman leaned forward slightly, her lips close to Korra’s ear as she whispered. “I guess your mug is pretty cute.” At that she released the woman and leaned back up. She couldn’t see Korra’s face but she hoped she atleast made the woman smile.

The group travelled along the wall, thankfully having no confrontations in this room. it really did seem like the survivors up and left. She couldn’t blame them.

“This is too easy.” Cait whispered cockily behind them. Considering they had all thought they were entering a suicide mission Asami couldn’t help but agree. This entire plan had gone off without a hitch.

“Whenever you say something like that something-” Korra didn’t have a chance to finish her statement before Asami shoved her off to the side just as the tan woman was about to enter through a door. Several loud bangs rang out at the exact same time. The heiress barely had time to react, throwing herself on the other side of the door to take cover.

“God damn it!” Korra groaned out on the opposite end of the door, squirming on the ground while clutching her left arm. “You jinxed us you Irish bastard!” Korra cried out.

“I’ll handle this meself then. Where they at?” The woman stated while drawing her own weapon.

“I just saw one person on the other side of the turned table. Directly in front of the door.” Asami stated while inhaling deeply, watching the struggling Korra on the opposite end of the door.

“Good.” Before Asami could question her intentions Cait stepped directly in front of the door and out in the open. Asami’s eyes widened dramatically as the woman fired several shots into the other room. When there was no return fire Asami slowly peeked her head around the corner while Cait holstered her weapon. “There. Done.”

“Are you crazy?!” Asami stared at the woman like she was an alien, a stranger she had never seen before.

“Nope. Just sober. So maybe a wee bit crazy.” Cait laughed at her own joke but Asami only rolled her eyes.

“How did you know he wouldn’t shoot back at you?”

“He was shooting a revolver. Really distinct noise. And they take forever to reload. So I just shot into the table and hoped that I’d hit him.” Cait stated nonchalantly, somehow satisfied with such a ridiculous response. Asami decided she didn’t want to entertain this woman any further. She rushed over to Korra’s side, kneeling beside the woman.

“Korra. You need to show me where you got hit.” Asami stated softly, resting one of her hands on the woman’s shoulder to keep her from rolling around any more. The tan woman slowly lowered the hand covering her wound revealing a small red line across the woman’s outer bicep. The wound barely bled with how insignificant the damage was. Asami sighed gratefully, looking down at the woman. “That’s what you were crying about? Seriously?”

“It stingsss!” Korra hissed between her teeth and Asami could only roll her eyes.

“You big baby. Get up so we can get out of here.”

“Nooo.” The woman groaned, rolling around dramatically once more. Asami could have laughed at the woman’s antics if it wasn’t for their dire situation. “Kiss it and make it feel better.” The shorter woman jutted out her lower lip pleadingly.

“Seriously? I’ll kiss you anywhere if you’ll just get up so we can leave.” As if those were the magic words Korra sprung up with new found energy, grinning heartily at the woman.

“You’ve got a deal.” All wounds forgotten the woman lifted herself from the ground, assisting Asami in the process.

“Drama queen.” Asami murmured, following quickly after the woman as she exited into the next room with Cait in tow. “And be more careful. You weren’t literally meant to take bullets you idiot.”

“Keep calling me names and I’m gonna take that little deal we made to a whole new level.” Korra warned but shot the heiress a playful grin regardless.

“Shorty.” Asami murmured beneath her breath once Korra moved a little further away.

“I heard that.” The tan woman sported back, not turning to face the heiress. Asami couldn’t help but chuckle quietly.

Thankfully the group managed to sneak their way through the rest of the vault without further incident. The night sky was lightly lit, indicating the sun would be rising soon. It hardly seemed they were in there that long. Atleast the rain had ceased completely. This time walking out of a vault was more freeing than ever compared to her first time. Nothing could compare to the feeling of absolute abandonment that being outside gave her.

“Listen you two. You really saved me arse back there. I don’t have anything to pay you with except me gratitude. I know you two are heading back to Goodneighbor but I’m going back to the Combat Zone to let me manager know I’m off the stuff for good. I’m sure he’ll be happy to hear.” The woman gave them a smile and sighed happily, glancing up at the sky as if seeing it for the first time. “I’ll never forget this. Whenever you need me, you know where to find me. I’ll probably set up home in Goodneighbor after you leave.”

“It was really nice meeting you Cait. I hope everything goes well for you. I’m sure you’ll see us around.” Asami stated with a smile.

“Aye. I’m sure we will. Be safe.” With that the woman turned around and went on her way. Asami couldn’t help but feel this was a truly underwhelming conclusion to such an overwhelming journey. Then again she was sure Cait had a lot of business to take care of with her newfound sobriety.

“Come on. Let’s get back to Goodneighbor. The sun will be up soon.” Korra nudged her head in the direction they were heading before walking off, Asami following at her side.

“How’s your arm? Thing you’ll manage to live long enough to get back to Goodneighbor?” Asami stated sarcastically.

“I doubt it. I might need a little incentive.” Korra shot the woman a charming grin and green eyes rolled in response.

“Ofcourse. And where would you like this incentive?” Asami didn’t even need to look to guess where the woman was going to gesture. Nonetheless she humored the woman. She stopped to look at Korra who’s grin not once wavered.

“Right here.” Korra turned her head slightly and tapped her cheek and Asami couldn’t help but blink in surprise.

“Really?”

“Oh? Is that dissapointment I hear?” The tan woman teased.

“No. Just surprised is all.”

“The lips are going to be reserved for when you want to do it. Not when I demand it.” Korra stated simply. “Now, let’s put those pretty lips to good use. I’m tired and my arm is killing me.” Asami chuckled good-naturedly and stepped closer to the woman. She placed her hand on the woman’s other cheek and leaned forward, pressing red lips hard enough to the woman’s tan cheek to leave a small, red lipstick imprint. Her lips lingered for a moment before finally parting from the warm flesh.

“Ahh. Much better.” The tan woman breathed a sigh of relief and Asami couldn’t help but chuckle at her theatrics. Her hand that was still on her cheek slid downwards to grasp the woman’s chin between her thumb and pointer finger. She gently eased the woman’s face towards her own before leaning forward again to press a brief kiss to the woman’s lips. Her eyelids fluttered close at the brief contact but she felt that familiar spark nonetheless.

Once their lips parted only a second later Asami peeked her eyes open slightly to see Korra was leaning forward just slightly, as if chasing her fleeting lips. The other woman’s eyes remained closed but a smile slowly peeled across her lips. Finally Asami was blessed by the sight of bright sapphires staring back into her own emerald orbs.

“Wow. I missed that.” Korra whispered softly and Asami could feel the familiar burning of a blush creeping on her face. Before the embarrassment overtook her she lifted the hand that was grasping the woman’s chin and used it to ruffle dark brown hair playfully.

“Keep up the good work, tiger.” Asami stated with a chuckle before turning on her heel and walking briskly away, her own smile gracing her lips. It was going to be a long, pleasant walk back.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So Irish accents are really hard for me to type out? I admittedly suck at it.


	19. Thinking Time

“Sparkling vampires? What in the hell…” Asami whispered quietly to herself, her eyes narrowing as she re-read the previous paragraph in her book. What had started off as a possibly gory and intense romance book led the poor heiress on a sickeningly cliche story of love with sparkling vampires. On top of that there had been no scenes or real mention of werewolves, one of the main reasons why she had bothered to grab this book. Asami was secretly enraptured by the idea of humans possessing animal like abilities. It was a truly fascinating concept.

Asami found herself this night, just like the past 8 nights, wide awake and unable to sleep. Ever since their return from the vault Asami found herself unable, or unwilling, to fall asleep. And the brief moments she did manage some sleep she was abruptly startled from her rest by outside factors. Those factors including Naga, Naga and more Naga. The dog was rambunctious with pent up energy and now that she was able to move more freely she craved attention, specifically from Asami. The heiress wasn’t sure what she did to deserve this sudden onslaught of affection but it was honestly overwhelming. She just wanted to sleep. And when she finally had the time to sleep her mind was too busy replaying the events that happened in the vault. What she could have done differently or how the situation could have been handled if given more time and consideration.

“’Sams.” A sleepy voice mumbled from across the room and Asami lifted her eyes from her book to see a half-clothed Korra shuffling towards her. The woman wore her usual sleepwear consisting of a sports bra and some tight spandex but by now Asami had nearly grown accustomed to the sight. Nearly.

“Korra. Go back to bed sleepyhead.” Asami chuckled quietly, her gaze remaining focused on the woman’s half-lidded, sleep filled eyes. She didn’t dare allow her eyes to wander lest she fill the remainder of the night with thoughts of Korra’s chiseled body.

The woman grumbled an incoherent response before spreading her body out sideways on the couch Asami was sitting. The tan woman’s wavy locks spread across Asami’s thighs as she rested her head on the heiress’ lap, her face looking towards the vixens stomach. She had become a lap pillow to a sleepy, albeit adorable, Korra.

“Comfy?” The heiress cooed as she looked down at the woman, smiling softly at the sight before her. Ever since their small escapade at the vault Korra had become more bold in her physical contact. It still remained tame but the wastelander was becoming more courageous with her gestures.

“Mm.” The tired woman grunted, reaching blindly upwards and flailing her hand around until she took hold of Asami’s free hand. Once she grabbed hold of the appendage she lowered the pale hand to her mouth, placing feather-light kisses across her knuckles. Asami held her breath during the contact, watching as the woman expertly maneuvered her lips without having to open her eyes to do so. Once each knuckle had received equal amounts of attention Korra led the pale hand to her brown locks, placing the hand comfortingly atop her skull. Asami chuckled quietly and took the hint rather quickly, her fingers brushing gently through the soft hair and her nails gently scraping across her scalp. The tan woman hummed gratefully, her arms wrapping around Asami’s waist so she could bury her face into the vixens stomach.

“As cute as this is, you should be sleeping.” Asami hummed, gently brushing through some tangles in the woman’s hair. There was something so domestically serene about this situation. Korra spoke, her breath tickling the pale woman’s stomach as she did so.

“You need sleep.” She argued groggily, peeking one eye open to glance up at the heiress. Asami sighed softly, nodding her head in agreement. There was no arguing that.

“I know. I just can’t fall asleep is all. But that doesn’t mean you can’t.” Asami brushed her thumb gingerly across a tan cheek, watching as the corner of Korra’s lips turned upwards into a small smile.

“Sleep with me Salami.” Korra murmured, glancing hopefully up at the woman with her signature puppy dog eyes.

“I’m going to let that one slide. But not again.” The heiress warned with a temporary stern expression. It then softened while Asami slid her hand down to tickle at the woman’s nose. “Besides, how do you expect that to work out? Last I checked there’s a giant dog in your bed. And I don’t think we’re at that point in our ‘friendship’ yet.” The heiress teased, giggling quietly when Korra nipped at her tickling fingers.

“Shut up. You know what I meant.” Cranky Korra was a cute Korra. Asami couldn’t help but tease her in her sleep-induced state. “Besides we don’t need to go to my bed.” To punctuate her statement she slowly lifted herself up from Asami’s lap, groaning with the movement. For a woman so in shape she was certainly lazy.

Korra scooted closer to the edge of the couch and pat the empty, albeit small, space beside her. For a brief moment Asami contemplated the genuity to the gesture. But the doubt dissappeared as quickly as it had come. Korra had been on her best behavior for awhile now and she made her intentions clear a week ago; she wouldn’t force Asami’s feelings.

“So you think cuddling is going to help me sleep?” The heiress mused, glancing skeptically at the other woman.

“You won’t know until you try.” Korra offered a tired grin and unfortunately Asami couldn’t argue with that logic. With an exaggerated sigh she closed her book and laid herself out on the couch on her side, facing Korra with the skeptical expression still present.

“Just sounds like an excuse to get close to me.” The heiress murmured while Korra settled in next to her. Korra shrugged in response, her eyes drooping slightly.

“Do I really need to make excuses for that?” She whispered, blue eyes flickering across the porcelain face in front of her. Sapphires lingered on red lips momentarily before they closed, the muscular woman shifting so she was instead laying on her back. She nudged her head at Asami, requesting for the woman to move closer. The heiress studied the other woman silently before complying, shifting so her head now rested on an outstretched arm and she was pressed to Korra’s side.

“No. I guess you don’t.” Asami whispered in return, breathing out slowly. “So is this friendly cuddling, then?” Asami’s voice remained soft and she felt Korra’s chest rise slightly with her chuckling.

“I suppose it could be.” Korra’s head turned slightly, blue eyes peeking through lidded eyelids to stare at Asami with such candor it nearly stole her breath away. “But if I can be honest, I really hope it’s so much more.” Her voice trailed off at the end and Asami glanced away from that burning gaze. It felt like it was eating her alive.

The arm her head laid on wrapped gently around her shoulder while Korra adjusted herself, her eyes closing as her head rested against the cushion of the furniture. Asami stewed on her words silently, her face burying into the woman’s shoulder a bit deeper to get more comfortable. She couldn’t deny that Korra did in fact make a good pillow. Beneath all the muscle and hard exterior was a soft, gentle woman.

Asami lifted her hand and set it hesitantly against Korra’s stomach, the muscles beneath her fingertips twitching with the touch. If Asami wasn’t so aware of how tired the poor woman was she would take advantage of this newfound ticklishness. Instead Asami laid her palm flat against the woman’s stomach, her fingers dipping into the crevices of the abs present. They were by no means a hard six-pack but instead lightly sculpted into her stomach, the perfect fit for a muscular, womanly body.

“Can I take you on a date tomorrow?” Korra’s soft voice voice interrupted Asami’s silent admiration of the woman’s body. Her green eyes lifted to see blue staring back at her expectantly.

“A date? To where?”

“If you say yes, it’ll be a surprise.”

“I do love surprises.” The heiress murmured while lowering her eyes again, sliding her eyelids close. “Alright. A date sounds nice.”

“Awesome.” Korra murmured, giving Asami’s shoulder a gentle squeeze. The heiress chuckled quietly, matching her breathing to the rhythm of the woman beside her. She found her sleep-deprivation forcing her consciousness to slip in and out before she finally drifted off, much quicker than anticipated. Maybe she really did need cuddles.

 

As her eyelids fluttered open she was greeted by the overbearing light filtering in through the windows. The heiress was surprised at how refreshed she felt from just one night of sleep. Considering she hadn’t slept well in days she assumed her body would be a bit more difficult with her.

“Morning beautiful.” Korra’s voice filtered through the silence, sounding much more awake than expected. Asami simply rolled her eyes, glancing up to be greeted by Korra’s goofy smile.

“Good morning sap.” Asami retorted, chuckling quietly while she stretched against the woman’s side as much as she could. Korra still had her wrapped in an embrace, making it a bit more difficult to move around.

“Can you blame me? Not everyone gets to wake up next to a goddess.” Korra murmured, lowering her head to press a kiss to the heiress’ nose. Asami flushed slightly, her eyebrow lifting at the compliment.

“A goddess? What’re you playing at, shorty?” Asami teased, wiggling slightly to be released from Korra’s grasp. Unfortunately the stronger woman had different plans.

“Nothing.” Korra murmured, lowering her head a bit further to align their lips with one another. “I’m just recognizing you for what you are.” Before Asami could further tease the woman for her choice of words their lips made contact in a bruising kiss, one that stole the heiress’ breath away upon contact. Asami froze with the suddenness before she gathered her bearings and pressed her palm to Korra’s chest, pushing her back gently. Asami took a shaky breath, eyes flickering across blown sapphires pupils before finally speaking.

“What happened to not forcing my lips?” The heiress whispered, thankful her voice didn’t crack with the question. She was surprised by how much of a toll that sudden kiss took on her. And surprised even more by how much she had been craving the contact.

“Is it really force at this point?” Korra murmured as she turned on her side, pressing her body flush against the vixens. Asami caught her breath, eyes narrowing with apprehension with what Korra’s next move would be. She was certainly being bold this morning.

“If I didn’t willingly initia-” The woman was cut off as Korra leaned in for another kiss, this one just as aggressive as the last. Their lips were pressed together hard, cutting off any form of speech Asami was capable of. Unfortunately for her the strength of the kiss couldn’t suppress the small, needy moan that slipped from her mouth. She could feel Korra’s lips smirk against her own and Asami silently cursed herself for allowing such a noise escape her at the simplest contact.

Korra’s lips began to move against her own, prompting the heiress to return the kiss lest she be caught behind. And if Asami could be honest with herself, the contact was growing more and more pleasurable by the second, if the heat building between her legs had anything to say for it.

The kiss slowed from aggressively overwhelming to passionately slow, expressing the need both women had been harboring for this moment. Asami pressed her body forward, stomachs and breasts pressing against one another and threatening to create a fire with the friction between their heated flesh. Her hand traced up Korra’s arm before settling on the back of the woman’s neck, her nails digging slightly into the flesh. She could hear Korra groan in response, further enticing the heiress to continue her ministrations.

The contact between their lips became heated once more, their lips meshing sloppily against one another. Without much thought to her actions Asami allowed her tongue to dip teasingly into the tan woman’s mouth, curving slightly upwards to graze Korra’s teeth before dissapearing back into her own mouth. She could have swore Korra growled when Asami’s head moved backwards, adding distance between their lips.

Green met with blue in a frenzied gaze, both women breathing heavily with swollen, needy lips as they dared the other to make the next move. Korra was all too happy to oblige, leaning forward to close the distance between them once more. Their lips met briefly before their tongues clashed clumsily against one another, waging war for dominance over the other. The women moaned simultaneously as their tongues met and the sound caused another wave of desire to stab at Asami’s core, her fingers sliding upwards slightly to tangle in the messy locks of Korra’s hair. She grabbed a handful of the brown mane, tugging gently to urge another moan from the woman’s lips. Asami immediately decided there was no sexier sound than the one’s Korra was making at this moment. The only other possibility of beating the melodious noise would be the woman screaming and praising Asami’s name to the heavens. The thought sent an involuntary shiver down her spine, her hips rolling to try and relieve some of the unattended wetness between her legs. She desperately needed some sort of friction or else she might drive herself wild.

“Mm.” Korra hummed softly against Asami’s lips, her teeth biting down and grasping Asami’s bottom lip before she pulled her head back slightly, releasing the vixens lip with a pop. “Let me help you with that.” The woman’s voice was husky and laced with lust and Asami whimpered pathetically at the sound. Never had she wanted -no, needed- somebody so desperately before.

Korra grasped onto Asami’s ass, giving the firm muscle a squeeze as she did so. The heiress groaned quietly, giving another roll of her hips. If not for her overpowering lust the vixen would be humiliated by her needy desire. But Korra never made her feel embarrassed by her actions. Instead they moved to urge the wastelander along. Korra’s hand slid a bit lower, settling on the back of Asami’s thigh as she urged the vixens legs apart with her knee. Asami was all too happy to comply, her legs spreading just enough to allow Korra’s thigh to press against her center. She couldn’t help the low moan passing her lips at the long-awaited contact, her hips immediately rolling to gain more friction against her clit.

“Korra.” Asami whispered softly, punctuating her name with another moan. She could feel Korra’s thigh moving and pressing against her center, aiding her in her lust-filled drive.

Korra’s head dipped once more and pressed a searing kiss to the heiress’ throat, her teeth scraping along the sensitive flesh greedily. Asami could only tilt her head back, exposing more of her neck to her animalistic partner. She could feel Korra’s hand slipping back up her thigh, grabbing the vixens hip in a bruising hold. The pain only aided in her pleasure, her hips beginning to pick up pace in their grinding as she felt that familiar feeling of release coiling in her stomach.

“That’s it, baby.” Korra’s hot breath whispered against the woman’s neck. Asami cried out in pained pleasure as Korra bit her neck, the teeth sinking in and surely leaving a mark before the woman’s hot tongue soothed over the scrape. Korra began to force Asami’s hips to move at a punishing pace, blue eyes peering at Asami’s face as it scrunched up at the feeling of her climax fast approaching.

“F-fuck..” Asami groaned, her hip movements becoming more erratic with each passing second. “Korra..” She whispered desperately, pleadingly, chanting the woman’s name. In hindsight it was truly embarrassing how quickly her climax was upon her, they really hadn’t been going at it for long. But that thought was pushed to the back of her mind as she threw her head back, moments away from the release she fiercely needed. That was until she felt Korra panting heavily on her face, distracting the heiress from her own pleasure.

“Korra.. quit breathing on me so much.” The heiress groaned, noticing Korra had ceased in her aid in the movement of Asami’s hips. She could feel her climax slowly staving off, her body reacting less and less to the friction between her legs. The panting never ceased and Asami pulled the woman’s hair to add some distance between their faces, scowling at the other woman. Korra simply responded by lathering Asami’s cheek with her tongue like some sort of dog. The heiress cried out in disgust, slamming her hand against the other woman’s shoulder roughly.

Green eyes popped open alarmingly, her breathing heavy as her eyes darted around the space in front of her. Asami found her head was resting on Korra’s chest and the woman was still sleeping soundly beneath her, if the light snoring was any indication.

The first thing Asami noticed was the giant white beast who’s head was only a foot away from her own. The dog had rested her chin on the other part of Korra’s chest and was staring adoringly at the heiress, her heavy panting striking the woman’s face with hot, stinking breath.

“Naga.” Asami groaned quietly and received an affectionate lick in return, prompting the heiress to wipe at her soaked cheek with the back of her hand. With her current situation Asami could easily derail her earlier time with Korra as a dream. A sexy, passionate dream that had the heiress wet with desire, even at this point in time. It was obvious her panties would need to be changed before her daily activities and, given the opportunity, her problem be personally handled.

Asami silently thanked whatever entity may be out there for Korra remaining asleep during her lewd dream. For all Asami knows, she had been moaning and grinding on the clueless, sleeping woman subconsciously. The heiress prayed that wasn’t the case, but then again she would never know unless Korra had been awake during the time. To save herself some humility she opted to no longer think she was some kind of sexual deviant that prayed on sleeping women, even if it was in her sleep.

Naga yipped quietly, urging her companions to wake up and lavish her in the attention she so desperately desired. Unfortunately Asami could relate all too well at the moment.

A quiet groan erupted from the chest Asami laid upon, Korra stirring slightly to the sound of her needy companion beckoning her.

“Alright, Naga.” Korra stated sleepily, her free hand lifting to pat the dog softly on the head. Just the sound of the woman’s voice caused goosebumps to trail over pale flesh, igniting her hunger once more. “I’m up girl. Just shush, don’t wake her up.” Korra pleaded quietly, urging her companion to remain silent. Asami smiled softly, trailing her nails gently across the woman’s stomach.

“It’s alright. I’m awake.” Asami was surprised by her own tone of voice, low and wanton. She could feel Korra tense slightly beneath her and Asami quickly cleared her throat, urging the obvious lust from her voice. “I’ve been awake for a minute now, so it’s okay.”

“Sorry if she woke you up.” Korra brushed her fingers softly against Asami’s scalp and the heiress hummed gratifyingly. “Did you atleast sleep a little bit?” The concern in Korra’s voice was endearing. If she were honest she was not nearly as refreshed as she had been in her dream. The haze of sleep still lingered in her mind and she knew she hadn’t received a full nights rest like she should have. But truth be told, it had been the most comfortable sleep she had had in a week. Unfortunately the waking up part and her soaked underwear was an awful trade in of discomfort.

“I did.” The heiress answered honestly, lifting herself up on her arm so she could peer down at the tan beauty beneath her. “We’ll have to do this more often.” Asami stated softly, her eyes flickering across the woman’s facial features. She could have sworn she saw a small blush dust the dark features of Korra’s face at the attention she was receiving but the woman hid it rather well.

“I agree. Completely.” Korra offered that lop-sided grin of hers but it almost seemed different. Shy, even. Asami recalled the previous times when she had noticed Korra’s confidence falter into humility and that had been when Asami chose to take charge instead of letting Korra take the reigns. It seemed this situation was no different.

“We should probably get up.” Asami whispered but made no attempts to actually remove herself from the woman. It appeared Korra had the same idea, the woman making no effort to actually get up. “The last thing we need is for prying eyes to see us like this.” Asami giggled quietly, giving the woman one more once over before finally sitting up completely, giving Korra the freedom of movement. “Besides, I think we have a date today.” The heiress was surprised at how excited she was for the prospect of this date. She blamed it on the lustful high of her dream. At the same time she had never been taken on a date, perhaps it was the giddyness of being properly romanced by such a desired candidate.

Korra sat up quickly, her eyes and smile brighter than the sun that lit up the entire room. “Damn right we do!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A bit shorter than usual but enough to satisfy you horn dogs, yes?


	20. Let's Go To The Mall

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So... this one came out a day late and for that I will not apologize. Wanna know why? Because Assassins Creed Odyssey came out and, I don't know if you all could tell or not, but I'm a hardcore gamer. Thus my nights have been spent gaming! So, you're all going to have to work with me for the next few months considering there are a bunch of big name games coming out. Does this mean I wont be updating? Not at all! But I may update once every 5-7 days rather than every 2 days like I have been. Please understand and thank you again for your support!

“You two kids be safe. I want you back home before dark and no talking to strangers.” Opal stated sternly, her eyes flicking between Asami and Korra. Asami stared blankly at her friend, containing the annoyed groan that so desperately wanted to be heard. This was why she wanted to be out before mom mode kicked in for her dear friend. “And you.” Opal pointed directly at Korra. “You better use protection with my sweet Salami.” This time Asami couldn’t help but groan, hiding her face in her hands.

Korra lifted her hand on a mock salute, her expression serious. “Yes ma’am! I always use protection!” To reiterate her statement she pulled aside her leather vest, revealing the gun holstered at her side.

“Are you two done yet?” Asami murmured into her hands, desperately inching towards the door. She was definitely regretting this date decision, no matter how excited she had been a couple hours prior. Everything was going smoothly until Korra had to brag about her success to her new bestie, Opal.

“Oh god.” Opal sniffled, lifting her hand to wipe an invisible tear from her cheek. “They grow up so fast.”

“Let’s gooo.” Asami groaned, flinging the door open and exiting the room as quickly as she could. She could hear Korra and Opal laughing behind her but she chose to ignore them. Just as she was contemplating leaving Korra behind and abandoning their date idea the tan beauty showed up beside her sporting a wide grin.

“Allow me.” Korra stated smoothly, opening the door that led outside. Korra dipped at the waist, giving an exaggerated bow as Asami walked pass her. “My lady.” The shorter woman cooed.

“Do you always act this goofy around the women you take on dates?” Asami asked with a smirk, walking pass the woman and giving her a gentle pat on the head.

“Only the pretty ones.” Korra responded, walking up beside the heiress and grabbing her hand. Asami glanced down at their clasped hands before flicking her eyes upwards to see Korra’s bright grin, her eyes sparkling with hope. “Then again, I haven’t gone on a date in a long time. I believe hand holding is customary.” Asami couldn’t help her smile, her fingers lacing with Korra’s reassuringly.

“Well, who am I to argue with the date master? Besides, I’ve never been on one so you’ll be taking the lead all day.”

“Oh, your first time, huh? It’s an honor.” Korra’s smile twisted into a smirk, bringing Asami’s hand upwards to place a chaste kiss on the pale flesh. “Don’t worry, I’ll take it nice and slow.”

Normally Asami would scoff and laugh off such a brazen comment. But her mind and body were still whirling from her dream hours prior and suddenly the comment seemed more and more enticing and completely unnecessary. Nothing needed to be taken slow.

At the lack of response Korra glanced up at the woman beside her and saw a faint blush adorning the woman’s face. Before Korra had a chance to make a comment Asami quickly changed the subject.

“So are you going to tell me your surprise or are you going to keep me guessing all day?” Asami mused, finally looking at Korra when she felt her blush had dissipated enough.

“I suppose I can tell you now.” The woman caved, giving a simple shrug. “First, we’re going to start with this.” Before Asami could question what the woman meant, Korra had stopped at their local soda vendor, ordering two cherry Nuka-Cola’s. “We’re gonna go just a bit north of here. There’s this pre-war mall that a good friend of mine has set up shop in. Ever heard of Haymarket Mall?” Asami shook her head as she sipped at her delicious, sugary delight. “Well it’s this giant building that my friend has renovated, for the most part. She sells all sorts of pre-war goods and makes clothing there. I figured we could have a little shopping date.” The corner of Asami’s lips turned upwards as she smiled around her Nuka-Cola bottle. This actually sounded like it would be a lot of fun. Asami’s initial assumption of their date had involved a lot more shooting. This seemed pretty normal, or as normal could get in the wasteland.

“So how far north are we talking?” Asami asked as they continued their trek out of Goodneighbor.

“Only about 30 minutes. Not far at all.” Korra extended her arm and retook Asami’s hand, their fingers once again linking with one another.

“Good. Then that means you have 30 minutes to tell me just what the hell is up with you and Opal.”

Korra wore a sly grin on her face as she set her eyes forward, walking expertly through the torn up roads of Boston. “I’ll be completely honest with you, Asami. Opal has been rooting for you and I to hook up for awhile now.” Korra paused for a moment before shaking her head. “No, ‘hook up’ isn’t the right word. She’s wanted us to be together for awhile. Said she had never seen you look at a person the way you did me. I’m not really sure what she was talking about, most the time you just look at me like I’m some idiot.”

“That’s not far off.” Asami chuckled as Korra stuck her tongue out childishly at the heiress.

“Anyways. When she saw I was interested in you she took a special interest herself.” Asami rolled her eyes at the declaration. That didn’t surprise her. Her friend was far too nosey when it came to her relationships. “The day when we first got here and you walked in on me and the doc…” Korra visibly flinched at the memory but continued on. “Opal chewed me out. God I hadn’t received a lecture like that since I accidentally chopped off some of Tenzin’s beard.”

“Wait.” The heiress interrupted. “How do you accidentally cut off part of a persons beard?”

“Let’s just say you shouldn’t throw knives in the house.” Korra murmured. “Now quit interrupting I’m trying to tell a story damn it.” Asami grinned and began to sip at her drink, motioning for Korra to continue. “Anyways. She’s the one who told me to get my shit together. That you wouldn’t be interested in somebody who’s playing around. And I think that’s when I realized that…” She trailed, her eyes training on anything except for the heiress. “That’s when I realized that if it meant getting to be with you, I’d be okay with taking things more serious.” The silence between them was palpable as Asami digested each and every word spoken from the shorter woman.

“But why?” Asami finally broke the silence, her voice barely above a whisper. When Korra turned to look at her Asami spoke again, more confidently. “Why would you do that? You have all these girls fawning over you, it just doesn’t make sense. Why give it all up for some girl you barely know fresh out of the vault?”

Korra’s eyebrows knitted together in contemplation, though it seemed she was more confused by Asami’s question rather than the answer to that question. “I’m going to keep being honest with you, but promise you won’t get mad, alright?” Once Asami nodded Korra continued. “At first, it was just pure physical attraction. I wasn’t lying when I told you you’re the most beautiful woman I’ve ever seen. I desperately wanted to have you and keep you around as a fuck buddy.” Asami frowned softly but allowed the woman to continue without interruption. “But then you stood up to me. And Mako. And protected Opal. I don’t know. I thought you were just going to be some princess from the vaults that’d run at the first sign of confrontation but you ended up being courageous and sassy. You just took me by surprise. And I’m not easily surprised.” Asami’s frown shifted into a small smile, attempting to keep the sight from the woman beside her. “Then as time went on I figured out how smart and funny you are. There’s more to you than just a pretty face.” Korra stopped walking, her hand halting Asami from moving any further as well. Asami glanced at the woman questioningly but found Korra staring back at her with veracity. “You’re not like the other girls. That’s why I was more than willing to leave them for just an opportunity to be with you. That is, after I got my head out of my ass.” The tension between them had been cut by the both of them chuckling, resuming their walk.

“Can I ask you something without you taking it the wrong way?”

“Ofcourse. I can’t promise I won’t be offended but I’ll try to hide it.”

“Say, hypothetically, I said yes. That I’d like for us to start dating. How do I know that your sudden feelings aren’t just being mistaken for lust?” Asami paused for a moment, contemplating her own words. They sounded a lot harsher than she had meant. “And I don’t mean that as in you’re trying to trick me. I think even YOU are smart enough to know that you’re stuck with me for awhile and tricking me would be absolutely hazardous to your health.”

“Considering you’d probably kill me, then Opal would bring me back to life and kill me again, yes. I couldn’t agree more.” The tan woman chuckled quietly, spurring Asami on. The heiress was glad she hadn’t been offended by the question. “But to answer your question, I don’t know. That’s probably not what you wanted to hear but that’s the only answer I have. I mean, maybe at first me asking you out was a bit impulsive. But that was a couple of weeks ago and I’ve been lucky enough to get to know you more and more everyday. And I can honestly say I’m liking you more and more.” At the end of her statement Korra gave Asami’s hand a reassuring squeeze.

Asami felt her face flush, her eyes glancing away. “I’m not sure how much more of this sweet talk I can handle. My teeth are starting to hurt.” Asami mumbled, earning a hearty laugh from the woman beside her.

“Well, if you’re tired of sweet talk my other special is dirty talk.” Korra cooed, grinning at the heiress. Asami’s face flushed another shade of red, turning her head away to try and conceal her embarrassment. She wasn’t sure if she could handle dirty talk at the moment.

“Nooo. That’s alright. Not necessary.” She murmured, clearing her throat to try and keep her imagination at bay.

“Shame. I’ll keep that for after the date, then.” Korra teased but Asami might have taken the statement a bit too seriously. Her mind immediately jumped to naked bodies, sweet moans and bed sheets. “But we can save that thought for later. Because we’re here!” Korra exclaimed excitedly and Asami took the time to look around. In front of her stood a large building which didn’t seem to have too much damage to its outside structure. Unfortunately the same couldn’t be said for the area around it.

“This place is huge.” Asami mused, eyes wide in wonder.

“Wait until you see the inside.” Korra tugged her along but Asami stopped when she saw the ‘Do Not Enter’ sign on the front door. She didn’t feel like getting in trouble for trespassing. When Korra noticed the heiress’ hesitation she grinned that mischievous smile at her. “Don’t worry. She place isn’t open yet but Lydia won’t mind. I wanted it to be just as two for a little while.” Asami continued to hesitate until Korra pulled the heiress inside of the building where her eyes grew into large, jade circles. The doorway immediately opened up into a large, open area. Stairs stood in the middle of the open area where they led up to a second story. There was some damage to the inside but one could easily look pass the structural integrity with how up-kept the inside was. Lights dangled by wires along the inside of the building, lighting up the interior to show various shelves with different items. There was enough space to easily walk around and what didn’t adorn the shelves was placed on mannequins, exhibitioning the various clothing. Most of the apparel looked like it consisted of a leather base, providing some protection to the elements, but Asami would be a liar if she said some of the attire hadn’t piqued her interest.

“Wow.” Asami whispered in awe, allowing her eyes to take in as much as she possibly could before Korra started dragging her along again.

“Lydiaaa!” Korra sang, yelling out the woman’s name. When there was no response in return Korra tried for a different tactic. “You have two very lovely customers waiting here! You better come out before we steal things!” The wink tossed at Asami told the heiress it was just a joke. A few seconds passed and still no response and Asami couldn’t help but shuffle uncomfortably on her feet. Korra immediately noticed the uneasiness radiating from her companion and quickly reassured her. “Don’t worry about it. Since she doesn’t get customers this early she’s probably eating. You’d be surprised how often she just leaves this place on it’s own.” Korra chuckled and walked further into the store, admiring some of the wares that were on the shelves.

“Isn’t she worried that someone’s going to steal her stuff? It doesn’t seem like a good business practice.” Asami murmured as she bent over to look at a some electrical boards on the bottom shelf.

“Nah. She’s got this entire place wired up with cameras. So even if someone DID get out they’d regret it later. Lydia’s got some powerful friends.” Korra squealed excitedly and Asami glanced over to her to see her holding two makeshift, plastic guns colored in exuberant greens and oranges. A slim eyebrow arched upwards as she stared at the excited woman. “Water guns! We should totally have a war.” The mischievous grin on Korra’s lips was contagious, Asami’s own red lips twisting upwards into a small smirk.

“Won’t we get in trouble for playing with water around all this stuff?”

“Nahh. Just avoid the electric stuff. And don’t miss.” Korra tossed Asami her gun and motioned for the woman to follow her over to the nearest drinking fountain.

“This is going to take awhile.” Asami observed as she looked at the low current of water coming from the fountain and the giant, plastic tank it was filling.

“That’s fine. It gives us a chance to talk.” Korra started the fountain up and adjusted the gun so the water was flowing properly into the tank. “So what do you think of the wasteland so far? Is it everything you hoped and dreamed for?” Korra teased with a little smirk.

“You know, with how my father made it seem, I thought it was going to be a whole lot worse.” She confessed, leaning against the wall to wait her turn.

“What do you mean by that?”

“Well, a little after my mother died, dad started to focus more on educating everyone in the vault about the dangers of the wasteland. I mean, we all already had a general idea of how bad it was out here but he made it seem a whole lot worse. To be honest, I came out of the vault expecting to see people with third arms or crazy things like that.” Korra laughed at that one, shaking her head as she watched the tank fill boredly.

“No, no third arms out here. Not most of us, atleast.”

“Don’t get me wrong, it’s pretty dangerous out here. But I guess I thought I’d be dead already. I always thought the people out here were bloodthirsty monsters. Atleast I was raised to believe that.”

“Well, not all of us are that bad. Most of us just want to live our lives peacefully. Unfortunately, that’s not always an option. Bad people always have to ruin it for everyone else.” Korra sighed loudly at that, handing off her now filled gun and taking Asami’s to repeat the process.

“I noticed. I think that’s why I want to join the Brotherhood of Steel. After all is said and done I want to start doing my part getting rid of these awful people.” Korra remained silent at that statement, blue eyes focused steadily on the stream of water. Asami allowed the silence to last for a moment, observing the tan woman and attempting to gauge why she had grown silent all of a sudden. Finally Korra spoke, her voice low and her eyes never meeting Asami’s.

“So you’re going to do it then? Join them after we’re done?” Asami’s eyes flicked downwards to look at the ground, suddenly finding a crack in the tile very interesting. She didn’t want to respond, she knew her answer would only hurt the other woman’s feelings.

“Listen. I know you don’t like them but as of right now that’s what seems like my best option.”

“It’s not even that.” Korra sighed heavily, adjusting her hold on the water gun. “Nevermind.” She mumbled and Asami couldn’t help her own sigh.

“Korra-” She started but Korra snapped the cap over the water tank and lifted the gun triumphantly to Asami. The woman wore a sad smile on her face, pleading for the heiress to no longer continue the subject. Asami stared at the gun for awhile before grabbing hold of it, but she wasn’t ready to end this conversation yet. Unfortunately Korra didn’t give her much of an option before she lifted her own gun and gave it a quick squirt, splashing water on Asami’s shirt. The heiress’ eyes widened, squealing at the sudden onslaught of cold liquid on her clothes.

“First blood!” She yelled excitedly before sprinting off from the heiress’ with boisterous laughter trailing behind her.

“Korra!” Asami yelled, grabbing hold of her weapon and sprinting after the woman. Unfortunately Korra had gotten a decent head start on the heiress’ and she could no longer trail after the wastelander. Asami lifted her gun up into position, green eyes flickering across the various obstacles that could be hiding her prey. “Korraaa.” The heiress sang in a sickeningly sweet voice, urging the woman to reveal her hiding spot. A creak forced Asami to turn sharply to her right, barely catching a glimpse of a shadow behind one of the tall shelves. A small smirk played across the woman’s red lips as she inched closer, ready to surprise attack her target. Once she was within range she jumped around the corner of the shelf, trigger finger at the ready.

“Gotcha!” She yelled out but gasped in surprise when she saw that her target was nowhere in sight. Before she had time to think on where the woman could possibly be hiding she felt a cold spray of liquid strike her directly on the ass, her body jumping forward from the suddenness.

“You fucking wish.” Korra laughed aloud, turning on her heels and sprinting off again. This time Asami wasn’t going to let her get away, chasing after the woman hot on her heel. She quickly pumped her gun and sprayed the cold liquid, hitting Korra directly on her back. The squeal of delight Korra emitted rang in Asami’s ears and caused the heiress to grin. She was glad she wasn’t going to be the only one wet.

“How do you like it?” Asami laughed out but was surprised when Korra suddenly halted and turned around, spraying Asami directly in the face. The heiress had to cough out the fluid that went in her mouth but was all too quick to retaliate, returning fire. This was no longer a game of chase but rather to see who can empty their water tanks faster. Both women were soaked from head to toe by the end of it and there was no clear winner as both women had been too busy squealing and laughing to really pay attention. After both women lowered their weapons Asami flipped her wet, raven locks out of her face, feeling the soaked mane stick against the back of her neck.

“Well, now that we’re thoroughly soaked, where do we go from here?” Asami mused, attempting to wring some of the water from her clothes.

“We have plenty of clothes around us. I figured we could pick out some we want to buy and just wear them back.”

“Interesting.” Asami drawled, eyeing the many different types of clothing. “You should let me pick out some clothes for you.” The heiress attempted to keep her smirk at bay.

“Fine. As long as I can pick out something for you.” Korra didn’t even try to hide her own smirk, her eyes narrowing into a challenging blue stare.

“Deal.” Asami immediately went to the female section, knowing exactly what it was she would be picking out for her companion. Once she found the appropriate clothing she returned to Korra, handing the pile of attire to the woman. “Now then. Chop chop. Get to stripping.” The heiress teased, clapping her hands to accentuate her words.

“There ARE dressing rooms you pervert.” Korra murmured as she made her way to the back with Asami in tow. The heiress attempted to hide her dissapointment. As Korra dissapeared into the changing room Asami took a seat outside, humming contently to herself. So far this date had been a lot of fun. She couldn’t help but admire how creative Korra had been along with her childish antics. It made Asami feel like a teenager again.

“Seriously, ‘Sams?” She could hear Korra complaining on the other side of the door and couldn’t help but chuckle.

“Come on now. Let’s see it!” She exclaimed excitedly, eyes opening wider in anticipation when she saw the door opening. What she saw immediately had the woman bent over in laughter, holding her stomach to try and contain herself. It wasn’t that what Korra wore was humiliating, but rather the comical pout that was present on her face.

“Yeah yeah, laugh it up.” Korra murmured as she crossed her arms over her chest, her lip jutting out even further.

Asami managed to simmer her laughter back, no longer bent over and able to stand up and move towards the woman. “You look amazing, Korra. I never thought I’d see you like this.” Asami grinned, her face red from her previous laughter. She reached up and unfolded Korra’s arms to access the buttons that lined down the woman’s torso. She slowly undid the collar button and she felt Korra’s breath hitch. Asami glanced at blue eyes and smirked softly. “Don’t get your hopes up. I’m just finishing this outfit.” Asami undid the next two buttons before stepping back and admiring her handy work. Korra had dressed herself in a tight, navy blue pencil skirt that cut off at her mid-thigh. It was short enough to show the sculpted muscle of the woman’s legs. And up top she had decided on a white blouse that tightened around the woman’s arms in all the right places. And now, with the addition of the undone buttons, Korra was displaying a fair amount of cleavage. “Damn. Go into any business meeting like that and you can get them to agree to anything.” Asami nodded to herself, satisfied with her handywork.

“Oh really?” Korra’s voice had a bit of a lilt to it, growing sweet with the sudden question. Korra stepped forward, forcing Asami to take a step back with the sudden advance. “And aren’t you a business woman, Miss Sato?” Korra asked pleasantly, a charming smile gracing her lips. Asami held her breath at the sudden implication, her eyes widening in surprise.

“W-well. I don’t know if I have much experience in the business section.” Asami murmured, attempting to weasel her way out. Unfortunately Korra seemed prepared for any response. She continued to move forward, forcing Asami to continue her trek backwards until she felt her legs bump into the bench she had been seated on prior. The heiress fell back into a sitting position though her jade gaze not once left those blue eyes filled with mischief.

“That’s fine, Miss Sato.” Korra’s voice continued to be sugary sweet, her body bending over at the waste so she was eye level with the heiress. This also accentuated her cleavage, leaving little to the imagination. Asami couldn’t help but glance down at the exposed lumps of flesh, swallowing back the sudden saliva wetting her mouth. Somehow Korra had managed to keep up her professional facade, even as she lifted a hand to place it on Asami’s thigh. “I’ll be more than happy to teach you. Everything. I. Know.” Korra accentuated the last few words by walking her fingers up Asami’s thigh, goosebumps covering the heiress’ pale skin at the contact. Korra leaned in until their lips were mere inches apart, blue eyes burning into green. “Would you like to roleplay this sometime, Miss Sato?” Korra cooed, enticing the vixen with a gentle smile.

“Yes.” Asami answered immediately before she actually had time to consider the question. At the realization of her admission she quickly tried to backtrack, her eyes growing wide with embarrassment. “W-wait! I mean!” Asami stumbled over her own words before groaning loudly, flustered with her inability to speak properly. This seemed to finally break Korra’s persona and the wastelander began to laugh out loud, stepping back to add space between them. The tan woman was doubled over in laughter while Asami hid her red face behind her hands. “You’re awful.” Asami murmured which only encouraged Korra’s laughter.

After what felt like several minutes the laughter slowly died down and Asami had recovered from her humility, or as much as she could.

“If you’ll excuse me. I’m going to get into some comfortable clothes and pick your outfit out.” Korra tossed a grin at the woman before leaving her in the changing room and with her own thoughts. Asami was actually surprised how well Korra had looked in those clothes. And what surprised her even more was how turned on she was whenever Korra had referred to her in a more professional tone. She couldn’t help but allow her mind to wander to the possibility of them taking this little roleplay idea back to the bedroom, if they ever made it that far. Something about being able to boss the oh so powerful Korra around left her with a dry mouth.

“Back!” Korra exclaimed excitedly with a new batch of clothing in hand. Korra handed off a set of lacy black clothing to Asami and urged her into the other dressing room before the heiress had the opportunity to protest. Green eyes scanned the thin cloth in her hands, her eyebrow arching curiously. This couldn’t even be considered clothing. It looked more like lingerie for a bedroom setting.

“Korra. This isn’t even clothes.” The heiress complained, lifting the clothing for a better view.

“What’s wrong? If you don’t know how to put it on I’ll be more than happy to come in and help.” Asami could practically hear the smile in the woman’s voice and rolled her eyes. It was true that she did not in fact know how to put it on. Thankfully she saw a mannequin on the way in that wore very similar clothing. It seemed easy enough.

“That won’t be necessary.” The vixen smarted back before stripping free of her soaked clothing. The black stockings had been more difficult to put on that previously anticipated. With her wet legs and the thin material she was more focused on not ripping the cloth. Somehow she had managed to get them on without any tears. Next was the underwear and matching garter belt, which had been a little more confusing to put on. She slipped it over her hips before properly attaching the clips to her stockings, or what she assumed was the proper way of doing this.

“Seriously Korra. This is not clothing.” Asami whined as she heard the door next to her open and close, presuming Korra had finished changing.

“Are you sure? I’ll need to see some proof of this non-clothing.” The wastelander chuckled at her own joke and Asami simply rolled her eyes again. The peeled off her top before looking at the black bit of thin leather. There were several clasps on this item and thankfully Asami actually had experience with these kinds of corsets. Or, she had seen them in videos. She tied the back laces up, making the corset as tight as possible. Thankfully there were clasps on the front of it, making it easier to put it on. Once she was thoroughly impressed with her appearance she nodded. The corset covered her torso for the most part, save for the fact her breasts were pushed up and made them look absolutely provoking. A small sliver of her waist was exposed to the elements, leaving plenty of room for the garter belt to be seen. She couldn’t argue that she looked positively sexy in this outfit. Korra had good taste.

She cracked the door open slightly and peeked her head out to see Korra waiting patiently on the bench. At the sight of Asami looking at her the other woman smirked, eyebrow lifting in a challenging manner.

“Well? Let’s see it.” She encouraged.

Asami inhaled deeply before gathering her courage and stepping out from behind the protection of the door. She watched in amusement as Korra’s eyes widened and the smirk dissapeared into an expression of awe. The expression was only there for a moment but it was enough to build Asami’s courage. The woman took a step forward and docked her hip, placing her her hand on the bent hip with a small smirk playing at her lips.

“Well? How is it?” Asami asked bemusedly. Korra’s eyes narrowed hungrily as her blue gaze flickered over the woman’s body possessively and Asami had to refrain from shivering at the sight. Korra visibly swallowed as she attempted to speak, though her mouth simply opened and closed without any actual words coming out. Asami couldn’t help but giggle quietly, her expression turning somber as she watched Korra struggle. Finally the woman seemed to compose herself enough to say one word.

“Wow.” She whispered.

“Just wow?” Asami cooed as she stepped forward, hips swaying a bit extra for effect. “Are you sure it’s just…” Asami lifted her free hand up to undo the top button of her corset, her breasts practically falling out but still keeping them covered, for the most part. “…wow?” Korra’s jaw unhinged at the sight, her mouth open at the bold attitude of the heiress. Asami couldn’t help another giggle as she reached her hand forward, sliding it beneath the woman’s jaw to help close her mouth. “Well, I’m so happy you enjoy. Now go get me some real clothes.” Asami tossed the woman a wink before dissapearing back into the changing room, a wide grin present along with pink cheeks. She definitely preferred teasing to being teased.

It took a moment for Asami to hear scuffling on the outside of the room, indicating Korra had finally left to get her some clothing. She hummed quietly to herself as she admired all her assets in the mirror. She’d have to remember this look for future sexy times. After about 5 minutes Korra finally returned, knocking gently on the door. Asami cracked it open to see Korra standing there with a new pile of clothing. It was obvious Korra was trying to catch a peek, if the way she glanced over the pile of clothes to stare at the heiress’ body was any indication. Asami cleared her throat and blue eyes flickered up to meet green. Asami arched her eyebrow with a smirk, crossing her arms over her chest.

“Here you go!” Korra stated with a shy grin, offering up the pile of clothing. Asami grabbed the pile and turned around, allowing Korra a brief glimpse of her butt before kicking the door shut.

Asami stripped from her lingerie and quickly clothing. She admired herself in the mirror and silently congratulated Korra’s taste in clothing. It was nothing fancy, which she preferred. Simple worn and torn blue jeans with a grey v-neck. The heiress silently pondered how Korra could have possibly of known her pant size but decided she didn’t actually want the answer to that question. She’d chalk it up to a lucky guess.

She exited the dressing room and immediately noticed Korra was no longer in the vicinity. A pang of worry struck her but not for Korra’s sake. No. This was for the sake of the store and what kind of havoc Korra could case on her own after being alone for a few minutes. It was like babysitting an overgrown child.

The melody of music reached the woman’s ears and she instinctively followed the noise. It was an older tune, some sort of pre-war music made up of saxophones and trumpets. The sound was alluring, and Asami couldn’t help but bob her head as she walked towards it. After returning to the center of the room she noticed the source of the sound was an old, dated radio. What was more noticeable, though, was the woman that stood next to the radio. Or more the fact she was standing on one of the display cases, completely disregarding her manners for being in someone’s store.

“Korra. What the hell are you doing?” The heiress mused, folding her arms dissapprovingly as she looked up at the woman. Korra only grinned back at her, clearly feeling no remorse for her immature behavior.

“Well. Since Lydia wants to go AWOL I figured we could just lure her out. Now quit arguing, crank that radio and get up here!” She exclaimed excitedly, beginning to twist on her feet in a poor attempt at a dance.

Asami contemplated how wise this decision was but decided if anyone would get in trouble, it’d be Korra. So Asami did what was asked of her and turned the volume dial, quickly encasing the space in loud, jazz music. The heiress twisted back towards Korra to see the tan woman beckoning her up on the case with her. Asami simply shook her head, not seeing the intelligence in adding more weight to such a fragile looking container. Unfortunately no apparently wasn’t an option.

“Either you get up here or I make you.” Korra warned with a challenging smirk. Apparently the woman didn’t realize that getting Asami up there would be more difficult than she expected. But, the heiress was feeling generous, and decided she wouldn’t fight the woman. It was her date, afterall, and Asami wasn’t trying to ruin it with her stubborn attitude.

Asami stepped forward and grasped Korra’s outstretched hand, pulling her up on the display case with her. Thankfully the material seemed sturdier than it looked and after a moment Asami grew confident that it wouldn’t break under their added weight. That was until Korra started to dance again, stomping her feet and causing the plastic to bend a bit beneath them.

“Come on scaredy cat. Let loose.” The wastelander laughed loudly, grabbing onto Asami’s hands and forcing her to twist her body in an off-beat shimmy. Not to be outdone, Asami began to twist her hips to match the eccentric pace, disregarding the fact that any second now they could collapse into the display case.

Korra grinned as Asami began to dance, attempting to match the vixens movements. Space remained between the two though they continued to dance with one another. They didn’t need the physical intimacy to enjoy their dance but just the laughter and smile from the other woman. Korra lifted her arm and enticed Asami into a twirl, which the woman did happily. The tan woman was ever vigilant, making sure her partner didn’t get too close to the edge. The vixen couldn’t help but giggle as he her whipped with the twirl. At the end of her rotation she yelped in surprise when she was tugged forward and into the waiting body of Korra. She was then lifted off of her feet in a hug and both their bodies twisted in a twirl, both women laughing loudly in the process. Her arms wrapped tightly around the other woman’s neck instinctively, using the woman as an anchor.

After a few seconds Asami was set back down, her arms loosening slightly. She had assumed they would continue their dance but when Asami tempted to move back she felt Korra’s arms tighten around her waist. Before Asami could come up with a teasing comment she heard Korra speak, her voice barely audible over the blaring music.

“Don’t go.” Her voice took on a porcelain quality, like it would break if she spoke too loudly. The heiress’ eyebrow arched curiously, wondering where this sudden change in demeanor came from. She pulled her head back only to see Korra staring up at her with wide, blue eyes. She knew that look all too well. That was Korra’s pleading look, silently begging the heiress for the correct answer. Unfortunately she wasn’t sure what that answer was.

“Well. We can stay here and slow dance instead?” The heiress tried for a proper response, assuming Korra simply wanted to stay close like this. The look on the woman’s face said it was not the correct one. Asami scattered through her thought process, eyes glancing over desperate blues as she deciphered the meaning behind her words. Asami sucked her bottom lip between her teeth as the realization dawned on her.

“Please.” The tan woman grasped the back of Asami’s shirt desperately. Their eyes never broke contact as Korra pressed on. “I know I’m being selfish. But I… It’s just…” The woman began to stammer over her own words, growing flustered with each failed attempt. Flustered to the point that tears were beginning to poke at the corner of her eyes.

“Korra.” At the mention of her name the tan woman snapped her jaw shut and simply stared, allowing the woman to continue. “Today was a lot of fun. The last couple weeks have been a lot of fun.” Blue eyes trailed downwards at the dismissive tone in the heiress’ voice but Asami cleared her throat, urging the woman to look back at her. She didn’t continue until their eyes met once more. “But I never said I was absolutely going to go.” At the revelation blue eyes widened. “It’s just a thought. One that I’ve been considering. But it isn’t decided that I’ll be leaving.” Asami lifted her shoulders in a shrug, offering a small smile. “Maybe I’ll find a reason to stay.” Those apparently were the magic words. Before Asami had time to react Korra surged forward, their lips pressing together in a very brief kiss. The heiress didn’t even have time to enjoy it before Korra was pulling away.

“Sorry.” Korra whispered, her head tilting forward to press their foreheads against one another. “I know I said I wouldn’t but… I couldn’t stop myself.” Asami closed her eyes, her breathing a bit more rapid than normal. She was unsure of what she wanted in her future. It was a blurry, mysterious road ahead. But what she did know is what she wanted right now, at this moment. And that was Korra.

Her head lifted slightly to brush their lips together, a testing, light touch of their lips. She could hear Korra’s soft intake of breath before the woman responded, repeating Asami’s motions but with a bit firmer contact. It took all of the heiress’ willpower to not snag one of those delicious lips between her teeth and increase their gentle liplocking into a heated makeout session. Lord knows her body desperately wanted it.

Pale fingers slid up the back of Korra’s neck to tangle into her messy locks, this time kissing the other woman more firmly.

“Asami.” Korra whispered softly against her lips, the sound of her name melodious coming from the other woman’s mouth. There had been a whole lot of sexual tension leading up to this moment and just the mere mention of her name caused the vixens sanity to snap like a wound up rubber band.

The heiress pressed into the woman further, her tongue tracing over the other woman’s bottom lip. Asami wasn’t in the mood to tease or play, she desperately needed some sort of release before the thick tension choked her. The woman’s lips tasted better than her dream could ever supply.

It didn’t take long for Korra to respond to her efforts, their mouths opening to allow eachothers tongues to taste and explore. As their kiss deepened she could feel Korra’s hand trailing down her hips and to her ass. Just the feel alone caused Asami’s hips to jerk forward slightly, her body already reacting to such tame advances.

“Wait.” Korra whispered against her lips and for once Asami was the one to become annoyed with their lack of physical intimacy. As their lips separated Korra jumped down from the counter, encouraging Asami to come down with her. Just as soon as her feet hit the ground they were once again lifted up. Korra had picked Asami up off the ground and the woman instinctively wrapped her legs around the other woman’s waist. The display of strength had Asami pursuing Korra’s lips greedily, their mouths coming together in a show of aggressive biting and licking.

“Mm.. More.” Asami whimpered, her hips rolling forward in a small grind against the other woman’s stomach. She no longer cared that they could possibly be walked in on. She didn’t care that they were doing this in public. All she truly needed was Korra. On her, inside her touching her. It didn’t matter what, as long as it was something.

Korra emitted a small groan, completely entranced in the other woman’s needy arousal. It was almost enough for her to forget where they were. Almost.

After managing to collect her wits about her Korra slowly set Asami back on the ground, though the heiress was oblivious to the woman’s movements. She was far too enraptured in lavishing Korra’s neck with the repressed attraction she had been holding back since they had first met. The constant onslaught on the tan woman’s neck had Korra mewling in pleasure, her teeth biting down desperately on her lower lip to keep her moans at bay.

Asami couldn’t contain her smirk at the beautiful noises, her teeth scraping along flesh to urge those addictive sounds to take a higher pitch. She was so caught up in pampering Korra’s neck she didn’t even notice the hand sliding down from the back of her ass inbetween her legs. It wasn’t until she felt a pressure against her center that the heiress gasped loudly, her nails involuntarily scraping the back of the woman’s neck. This pleasure was sweeter than any dream could possibly make it out to be.

“Don’t stop.” She begged in that sickly sweet voice, her voice all but dripping with lust. In response Asami felt Korra’s hand rub inbetween her legs again, her fingers just barely touching her clit before they slithered away again. Asami was all for teasing and foreplay but for this particular situation she needed to get off. Now.

The heiress bit into the woman’s neck hard, making sure there would be a mark left to remind the woman of what she did. She heard Korra hiss in response, her body tensing in reaction to the pain. As Asmai released the flesh from between her teeth she began to nip gently up the woman’s neck to her ear, whispering between clenched teeth.

“Stop fucking teasing me or I’ll take care of this myself.” The heiress warned and apparently Korra took that warning very seriously. Her head shifted backwards and their eyes met in a challenging glare, daring the other to make the next move. Thankfully, or not thankfully, a loud crash from the other side of the room captured their attention. Both their heads whipped in the direction of the noise and that seemed to break them from their spell. Asami’s face began to heat up with the possibility that they had been caught and was acting so lewdly in public.

“Lydia?” Korra’s voice cracked and it was nearly enough to distract Asami from her embarrassment. The vixen giggled quietly and Korra shot her a frown in return. She lifted a small bag with the familiar jingling of caps inside and set it on the counter they were just on. “We’re heading out. I’ll just leave the money here.” Korra cleared her throat and grabbed Asami’s hand with every intention of leaving this place and continuing where they had left off. But when there was no response in return they halted their hasty retreat to the door.

“Korra?” Asami murmured while the woman kept her eyes in the direction of the noise. Without a good explanation for their actions they began to walk in the direction of the noise. Asami could vaguely recall this was how many horror movies began. Normally people ran away from scary, ominous sounds.

A quiet gurgling had both women halting their footsteps, the sound sending an all too familiar array of goosebumps up and down her arms. She knew that sound. Before she had time to react properly and urge the other woman away the ghoul rounded the corner, it’s bright orange eyes falling on them. It took only a second for it to release its shriek before lunging at them, it’s arm splaying out to grasp onto its prey.

A quick jerk to the side had Asami stumbling to the right and narrowly avoiding being scratched up by the monster.

“Let’s go!” Korra urged as she began to drag Asami along with her, weaving and whipping around the various shelves to avoid the attacks of the ghoul. Asami was about to argue and encourage the woman to stop. It was only one ghoul, they could easily take it out. But apparently Korra had seen something the other woman hadn’t. What started out as one creature growling turned into a crescendo of loud screeches and snarls. There was more than one, a lot more than one. Where had they been this whole time while they had been messing around? And what could have possibly been drawing them? She could only blame the source of their attention on the noisy radio which was still blaring it’s music throughout the building.

Asami focused her attention forward and noticed they were heading for the exit door with a pack of ghouls hot in their heels. Their hands separated so Korra could whip out her weapon and fire blindly into the group. She didn’t look back, just fired away. Asami had a feeling if they made it out alive this Lydia woman would just kill them instead for the damages to her store.

While Korra focused on firing Asami sprinted ahead, grasping at the front door and pulling it open. Her timing would need to be precise and she prayed that these things weren’t smart enough to turn door handles. Her heart thumped wildly as she watched the creatures get closer and closer to Korra who had focused instead on running instead of shooting.

“Hurry up!” Asami shouted into the door, urging the woman to somehow increase her speed, as if she were purposefully moving slower. It was as if the tan woman had jumped through the open door instead of running like a normal person but Asami didn’t miss a beat on slamming the door shut. The sound of loud thumping echoed against the door as the bodies slammed into it, the shrieking just as loud as it had been moments prior. Or maybe that was just her adrenaline speaking.

She felt herself being tugged backwards and her initial reaction was to lash out, her arm swinging towards the culprit. Her fist made contact with a tan bicep but Korra didn’t even flinch with the contact. Maybe Asami needed to start working out more.

“Whoa there tiger. It’s okay now.” Both their breathing was labored but Korra somehow managed to sound calm, enticing the vixen to relax despite the danger they had been in moments ago.

“I guess that explains the ‘Do Not Enter’ sign.” Asami murmured after taking a deep breath, hoping to calm her breathing slightly. Both the women shared a glance before Korra suddenly broke out in laughter. It was misplaced, uncalled for and random but Asami, for some unknown reason, couldn’t help but start giggling herself. It must have been the absurdity of the situation but the women continued to laugh despite themselves.

“Seriously?” Korra wheezed, running her fingers through her messy bangs. “We are never going to get enough alone time to finally do the deed.” Korra flashed a smirk and Asami rolled her eyes, sticking her tongue out.

“Ofcourse being faced by a deadly situation doesn’t deter your perverted mind in the slightest.” The heiress teased and Korra only scoffed, as if offended by her statement.

“Sleeping with the sexiest woman I’ve ever met takes precedent over death.” The woman stated boldly, crossing her arms with finality. Despite the teasing nature of their banter Asami couldn’t ignore the throb of desire in her core. Apparently she was just as much a deviant a the wastelander.

Asami stepped forward and took Korra’s hand, forcing the woman to follow her as the vixen walked backwards, her voice low with desire. “Then what are you waiting for? Home is only 30 minutes away. Think you can wait that long?” Without warning Asami surged forward and stole a lingering kiss from the other woman before jogging ahead, beckoning the woman with a seductive smile over her shoulder.

Korra stood there for a moment, eyes trailing after the other woman in astonishment. Asami could only giggle as she gained some distance in the woman, shouting over her shoulder as she continued in the direction of Goodneighbor.

“Well? Are you coming?”

After a few seconds Korra finally gathered her wits and began walking after the woman, murmuring beneath her breath. “Not yet.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you everyone who gave me prompts to continue with the story. I hope you all enjoyed, I know I did. I love seeing your creative minds.


	21. Big Finale

A 30 minute trek back to Goodneighbor easily turned into an hour before the gates to the mini city came into view. While both women were eager to return to their home to tend to their neglected lust they were also eager to keep the other on their toes.

Multiple times during the walk back the women found themselves lavishing the other in teasing kisses to keep the other interested and excited. And multiple times those kisses turned into heated makeout sessions where Asami was half-tempted to take Korra up on her prior offer of fucking on a poor, unsuspecting pile of rubble. Thankfully the heiress kept her lust at bay long enough to drag Korra away from the inviting makeshift bed.

Once they entered Goodneighbor the women managed to control their urges long enough to return back to their hotel. Several people looked in their direction as the women practically sprinted to the hotel, hands clasped tightly together. In truth the thought emboldened the vixen. Korra’s own excitement kept her confident and emboldened.

After several stumbled attempts to get to their hotel room Asami had finally had enough of Korra’s fumbling. Before she had the chance to open the room door Asami pushed her up against the rickety wood, their lips melding together for the umpteenth time that day. Asami was by no means gentle, grasping the collar of Korra’s shirt tight enough that if the material were thin she could have possibly ripped it. That thought excited her more.

The wastelander moaned into her mouth, the kiss distracting enough to make it more difficult for her to find the door knob. Asami slid her tongue into the woman’s mouth, having every intention of keeping Korra preoccupied with returning the kiss. She made a game of their kiss; how long could she keep Korra from finding the door knob? What she didn’t expect was for Korra to flip it on her.

After Asami gave a few teasing strokes of her tongue Korra bit down softly on the wet muscle, keeping it in place while she sucked greedily. Asami couldn’t help her whimper, her body pressing forward until they were meshed into one another. She mentally noted how well their bodies fit together. Perhaps it was the haze of her lust, or maybe something more.

Finally her tongue was released from its delicious prison and Korra managed to open the door, both women stumbling into the room. They giggled quietly, their bodies remaining conveniently close to one another as Asami peppered kisses across the other woman’s face. Wide grins adorned their lips as they stared at one another, an unspoken conversation between eyes occurring momentarily before they gathered their wits and turned towards the bedroom. That was the exact moment they noticed they were not the only ones in the room.

Sitting on the couch across from the door was a surprised Mako, his eyebrows lifted and lips shaped into an ‘o’ at the sight of them practically eye fucking eachother in the living space. There was a long staring match between the three of them, nobody daring to say any words. The blush adorning Asami’s cheeks spoke all the words that were needed. Finally Korra broke the heavy tension, her voice thick as she spoke.

“Get out.”

“Wait what? I’m living here too.” The man argued and Asami could have strangled him. Thankfully Korra handled any threatening that needed to be done. The woman opened her vest and flashed the weapon she was adorning and Mako immediately lifted his hands in surrender.

“Out. And make sure nobody comes back for a few hours.” Mako said nothing as he stood up, head hung low in defeat as he made his way out the door and slammed it behind him. Both women glanced at one another, making sure neither of them had lost their appetite for sex.

“That was sexy.” Asami whispered and just like that Korra’s lust was ignited again. The heiress found herself lifted off of the ground and pressed against the door. Korra’s hands were squeezing possessively at the back of her thighs while the woman’s chiseled abdomen pressed against her throbbing center, moving ever so slightly to provide some relief. Asami moaned softly at the contact, the sound muffled by their lips meeting in another feverish kiss. Asami locked her legs around the woman’s waist and rolled her own hips ever so slightly to meet the other woman’s pace, providing the max amount of friction she could achieve in this position.

Asami lifted her hands and released Korra’s hair from it’s bands, allowing the mane to flow freely over her shoulders. She couldn’t help but run her fingers through the soft locks. Korra should really wear her hair down more. She was distracted enough playing with the woman’s hair that she didn’t notice one of Korra’s hands had slid from her thigh and between her legs, pressing firmly against her soaked sex. Asami was surprised by how loud she had moaned at the contact. She was much more wound up than expected. Korra continued to rub her outside of her clothing but after a few more moments Asami quickly realized she needed the barricade removed. And soon.

Once Asami could no longer take the mild friction against her sex she finally grasped the woman’s hair and pulled her head back slightly. She could hear Korra growl quietly in response and the sound alone caused the heiress to shiver. But she quickly reminded herself what her intentions were and leaned forward, nibbling on Korra’s earlobe for added effect. After a satisfactory amount of time of keeping her mouth busy Asami finally released the flesh from between her lips and whispered hoarsely.

“Take me to the bedroom and _fuck_  me.” She emphasized the word ‘fuck’ with a gentle tug of the hair in her grasp, giving Korra no room to argue. It took only a moment for Korra to peel her away from the door and maneuver her way to the bedroom with Asami in her arms. Unfortunately the heiress couldn’t bare to keep her lips idle for long and lavished the shorter woman’s neck, sucking greedily at the flesh to leave marks that would last for weeks. She wanted Korra to be reminded of this moment whenever she looked in the mirror. The woman responded by groaning quietly, as if she were attempting to hold back her voice. That just wouldn’t do. Asami would have to fix that later.

The vixen hadn’t even noticed they made it to the bed until she felt herself being tossed down and landing on a semi-soft mattress. Now that their bodies were separated it was as if they had broken from a trance and finally had the chance to truly look at one another. Asami immediately noticed the disheveled state Korra’s entire being was in. Her clothes were wrinkled from Asami grasping onto them so desperately and her hair was no better. The marks on Korra’s neck were already bruising but what truly caught the woman’s attention was the way Korra was looking at her. Normally light blue iris’ were darkened in her lusty haze and stared down at Asami with an inarguable hunger. But behind the obvious desire was something softer, almost gentle.

Before Asami could question what that something was Korra began to unbutton her own pants, allowing them to slide down her hips and slip haphazardly to the ground. Not to be caught behind Asami was quick to mimic the other woman’s movements, quickly removing her own shirt and tossing it to some unknown space to be forgotten. Her eyes were immediately enraptured by Korra’s sculpted abdomen as the woman began to remove her shirt. Asami had to bite her bottom lip to keep from whimpering at the sight.

She had seen Korra plenty of times in her underwear and while it was always a welcomed sight it couldn’t possibly compare to this moment. The way the woman’s muscles rippled with each movement was captivating and gave Asami the chance to truly appreciate the body in front of her.

“See something you like?” Korra’s voice snapped Asami’s attention back to her face where a smug smirk was present. Asami couldn’t even argue the woman’s words. She did in fact like what she saw. “I knew you’ve been checking me out.” Asami rolled her eyes in response and leaned back on her elbows, beckoning the other woman with a tilt of her chin.

“Shut up and get over here.” The heiress murmured and Korra bent over top of the woman, pecking her lips quickly.

“Yes Miss Sato.” She whispered and Asami held back a desperate whimper at the title.

Korra grasped the top of Asami’s jeans and quickly shimmied them down the heiress’ slender legs, her underwear disappearing along with the jeans she was wearing. Now that the obtrusive clothing was no longer there Asami couldn’t help but feel exposed as the air brushed against her soaked sex. Her legs closed slightly in reaction to the sudden shyness that overtook her. Apparently Korra was having none of that. Korra grasped her knees and gently parted her legs, but nothing about it was forceful. Asami could have fought the advancement if she truly wanted but the way Korra stared so adoringly at her waved away Asami’s discomfort in an instant.

The tan goddess crawled between her spread legs, her blue eyes piercing into jade. Their eye contact never broke as Korra advanced forward and pressed their lips softly against one another. Nothing about this kiss was frenzied like the ones they had shared only minutes prior. This one was gentle, a silent reassurance to the inexperienced heiress and she sunk happily into the feeling.

After a moment of the kiss remaining still Asami finally began to move her lips, deepening the embrace. Asami slid her pale hand up to the back of Korra’s neck and grasped onto her desperately. She could feel Korra’s tongue once again propositioning her, enticing the heiress to open her mouth and allow their tongues to meet yet again. The muscles wrapped around one another as Asami fell completely backwards, laying flat against the mattress. Korra chased after her, their lips never parting, though Asami didn’t give Korra much of a choice in that regard.

Soft hands snaked up Asami’s stomach, the touch feather light as it explored the depths of her toned abdomen. As those hands slid upwards and over the mound of her breasts the vixen arched into the touch, desperate for some sort of rough contact against her sensitive nipples. Korra took advantage of the position quickly and slid her hands behind the woman, unsnapping her bra and slipping the straps over pale shoulders to toss to the side.

Once the offending clothing was removed Korra sat upright, finally breaking their prolonged kiss to look down at the vixen. Asami had never felt shy about her body in the bedroom but the way Korra’s gaze devoured her entirely was making the heiress squirm with anxiety. She was sure Korra found her attractive, if the way the tan woman chewed on her lip was any indication, but Asami continued to writhe in discomfort.

“God you’re beautiful.” Korra finally stated, her voice a husky whisper. Before Asami could verbally respond Korra captured her lips in another kiss, causing Asami to moan at the contact.

Asami’s hips began to wiggle in desperation, the ache between her legs unbearable and soaked with need. Korra took the hint rather quickly and lifted herself up with one arm, her other hand sliding between their bodies and finally cupping her sex.

“Fuck Asami.” The woman hissed, one of her fingers running between the heiress’ lips and dipping teasingly inside of her for only a brief moment before returning to its long strokes. “You’re soaked.” The declaration would have embarrassed the vixen if she weren’t so drunk on her pleasure, as minimal as that pleasure was.

“Stop teasing me.” Asami pleaded, her eyes lidded slightly as she stared at the woman above her. She was panting softly, a moan breaking the rhythm when Korra finally stroked her soaked finger across Asami’s sensitive clit. Her hips bucked upwards desperately but Korra’s finger quickly retreated. Asami groaned and glared at the woman above her but Korra only smiled apologetically in return.

“Just tell me if you don’t like anything I’m doing.” She stated hurriedly and any response Asami had was curtailed by another long moan as Korra resumed stroking tentatively at her clit. The touches were soft, infuriatingly so, like Korra was afraid to hurt her. Asami attempted to increase the pressure by rolling her hips into the touch but Korra didn’t allow for the movement to ruin her tempo.

Asami clenched her jaw in irritation. The touch was bliss, by all means, but it wasn’t enough to drag her over the edge. Apparently Korra truly did think of her as some sort of delicate flower that would wilt if handled too roughly. But she was in no mood to be treated softly. What she truly wanted and needed was to be fucked with raw, primal desire.

Asami slid one of her hands upwards and forced Korra’s head down to cling onto. She felt the tan woman scrape her teeth along her pulse point and Asami let out a shuddering gasp. The heiress twisted her head and panted softly into Korra’s ear before finally whispering. “Go inside. Please.” She whimpered, hoping this would help throw her into her climax. If it took Asami begging she would gladly let go of her pride.

Thankfully Korra didn’t make her ask again before Asami felt one of her fingers probing around her entrance. Before Asami could complain she felt the finger penetrate her and she mewled softly, her voice raising in pitch at the feeling.

“More.” The vixen hissed softly and was rewarded with another finger entering her, deliciously stretching her insides. Her hips raised slightly at the feeling, urging her fingers to go deeper in the process. The fingers began to pump slowly in and out of her, drawing out long moans from Asami. Her pale skin was coated in a layer of sweat as her hips continued to roll and meet Korra’s thrusts but to her dissapointment the wastelander was continuing to be hesitant with her touches.

Asami peeked her eyes open and only saw brown curtains of hair in her vision. Her body was growing tired from constantly chasing her orgasm. Korra was by no means bad in her approach but unfortunately for Asami she had always preferred a more rough treatment while in the bedroom. She was all too sure Korra was capable of this if she simply relaxed and quit trying to treat her so tactfully. Unfortunately it seemed Asami would have to take things into her own hands.

Asami slid one of her hands down Korra’s back, her nails raking down the exposed flesh in the process. She felt Korra tense above her, groaning quietly at the feeling. Asami smirked softly as her nails continued to scrape lower until finally sliding between their bodies. She grasped onto Korra’s hand that was penetrating her and Korra froze in her ministrations. The tan woman lifted her head and looked anxiously at the pale beauty beneath her and Asami was certain Korra feared that she had hurt her.

Before Korra could speak the heiress shot her head forward and captured her lips in a hard kiss. This seemed to derail Korra’s train of thought and the woman above her melted, allowing Asami to make her next move.

The heiress kept the woman’s fingers inside of her by holding the tan hand in place. She then flipped their positions by swinging one of her legs around the woman’s waist, effectively trapping Korra beneath her while straddling the woman’s lap.

Wide blue eyes stared up at her, meeting a piercing green gaze that made the tan woman tremble with desire.

“What are you…” Korra’s words trailed off as Asami began to move her hips, slowly rising up and down to properly ride the fingers that were still inside of her. She had experience in this position but never with a woman or fingers. She trapped her bottom lip between her teeth, a high-pitched mewl erupting from her throat as the fingers went as deep as possible inside of her. She glanced down at Korra to see her staring at her like some sort of predator eyeing its prey.

Asami lifted her hips up and slammed them back down onto the fingers, her mewl turning into a full blown moan as she released her lip. The woman continued to thrust her hips onto the fingers, panting out quietly. “Is this… okay?”

She gazed down at Korra to see the woman nodding fervently and at the admission she finally let go of Korra’s wrist. She pressed her hands against the tan woman’s abs and dug her nails in, using her newfound leverage to hasten her thrusting her hips. Her moans continued to increase in pitch which turned into loud wails when she felt Korra’s fingers curl inside of her, hitting her sweet spot at such a perfect angle she could see white in her vision.

“Fuck!” The heiress screamed out, momentarily losing control of the volume of her voice as she sang out her praises. “Korra! Don’t stop!” She begged and was awarded with a powerful thrust upwards from the other woman, causing Asami to gasp loudly and arch her back with the overwhelming pleasure.

Korra began to thrust her fingers, using her hips to aid in the movement to time their momentum perfectly together. The loud, slopping noises coming from between her legs only alleviated the heiress’ arousal as her thrusting started becoming more erratic, no longer following a rhythm. She felt that familiar coil of tension in her stomach and was quick to encourage her approaching orgasm.

She slid one of her hands forward and up the woman’s chest and teased Korra’s lips with her pointer finger, gaining enough of the tan woman’s attention for Korra to suck that finger into her mouth. The feeling of the older woman’s tongue lavishing her appendage was appeasingly erotic and it took all her willpower to finally pull her hand away from the inviting mouth. Now that her finger was satisfyingly wet she slid her hand between her own legs and began to flick desperately at her clit, gasping loudly at the overwhelming sensation.

She could feel herself quickly becoming undone, her own hips slowing in their thrusting motions and becoming more inconsistent as the seconds ticked by. Thankfully Korra didn’t slow in her ministrations. The tan woman seemed to have finally dropped whatever hesitation she had towards Asami and was finally fucking her raw and no fantasy or dream could compare to the real feeling.

“Cum for me, baby.” Korra’s hoarse voice had Asami peering down at her through lidded eyes, her breathing heavy and labored from her ceaseless movements. Korra slid her free hand over to Asami’s thigh and scraped roughly at the flesh, dark sapphires staring hungrily at the vixen. “I want you to scream my name. I want everyone to hear you.” Korra growled and punctuated her statement with a hard thrust.

Asami’s jaw dropped open in a silent scream as that thrust hit her front wall perfectly, finally pulling her into a hard climax. As soon as she washed over her peak her voice finally erupted into a loud scream, though no coherent words were said. Her body continued to ride out her orgasm and she could hear Korra’s voice in the background while the woman continued to pull out every bit of pleasure from her. “Say my name, baby. Please.” The wastelander begged so sweetly Asami couldn’t help but comply when she found her voice.

“Korra! Oh fuck… Korra!” She began to chant the woman’s name like a prayer, her body spasms eventually easing into light convulsions every so often. “You feel so good inside me.” The heiress praised as the thrusting ceased and Asami’s moans turned into heavy pants. Sweat trickled from her forehead at the sheer exertion and the pleasurable bliss she was experiencing. Had afterglows always felt this amazing?

“Wow.” The wastelander released a long puff of air from beneath her and Asami glanced down at the woman with a questioning stare. Korra grinned back at her, finally pulling her fingers out of the taller woman and admiring the glistening juice on her digits. “You’re fucking incredible.”

Korra chuckled and lifted her soaked fingers to her mouth. Asami’s eyes widened when she realized what the other woman’s intentions were and quickly grasped Korra’s hand before she had the opportunity to taste the fluid on her fingers. Asami then quickly thrusted the fingers into her own mouth and trailed her tongue along the appendages, cleaning them from her love juices. She could hear Korra groan beneath her, though she wasn’t sure if it was from dismay or pleasure. When Asami glanced at the woman once more she realized Korra was pouting and Asami couldn’t help but chuckle at her appearance.

“Why did you do that!” Korra whined, jutting out her lower lip pathetically. Asami popped the fingers back out of her mouth and trailed her tongue along her lips seductively, barely containing her smile.

“Because that’s embarrassing.” Asami extended her arm and gave Korra a teasing bop on her nose, finally sitting back to rest her weight on the woman’s lap.

Korra huffed loudly before grabbing onto Asami’s thighs, inching the woman up her body. “Fine. I guess I’ll have to taste you from the source.” Asami squealed and quickly tapped the other woman’s hands away, her face heating up.

“Not happening. Not to me atleast.” The vixen smirked and leaned forward, capturing the woman’s lips in a long kiss. Asami trailed her hands upwards and cupped the woman’s face, their kiss tender and sweet. She could feel tan hands slide up and rest on her hips, encouraging Asami to languidly grind against the woman’s stomach, which she was happy to comply. She could feel herself spreading her juices along the woman’s abs and offered a small moan at the friction. She was still sensitive from her previous orgasm but she couldn’t ignore the heat erupting between her legs once more.

Asami peeled her lips from Korra’s only to trail them down to the woman’s neck and continue her trek lower. She made sure to streak her tongue over the juices that coated the woman’s abdomen and replace that fluid with her own saliva. The muscles beneath her tongue twitched and she could feel Korra squirm beneath her as Asami continued to trail lower and lower until she was met with a small patch of brown, curly hair.

The heiress paused in her ministrations to place soft kisses along the woman’s inner thigh, though the pause was more for herself than Korra. She couldn’t help her nerves at being in this position. She had only ever had this particular sexual act performed once on herself and it ended horribly wrong. But at the same time she couldn’t help but be envious of her other friends who would brag about the amount of pleasure cunnilingus has brought them.

“Asami.” She heard her name whispered and glance upwards to see Korra’s eyes staring back at her, lidded with arousal. A tan hand extended towards her face and cupped her cheek gently and Asami couldn’t help but lean into the touch. “You don’t have to do anything you don’t want to.”

Asami trailed her eyes lower and silently observed the genitals in front of her. The lips were a slightly darker shade of brown and was petaled open, soaked in her lust. There was nothing disturbing about the sight in front of her, it was rather beautiful in fact. And she couldn’t help but be curious what another woman would taste like. She had no qualms with tasting herself, her actions earlier the indicator of that, but another woman was a different story.

She tossed her onyx locks over one shoulder and slowly closed the distance between her own lips and the ones in front of her. With a tentative stroke of her tongue she trailed the muscle slowly through the soaked petals and was pleasantly surprised with the taste. There was a salty tinge to the juice and it was in fact a bit bitter but not by any means disgusting.

Korra’s hips bucked slightly with the sudden pressure and a long moan peeled from her throat, spurring Asami to continue her work.

This time the heiress dove in more hungrily, her tongue greedily seeking out the warm juices coating the woman’s sex. Asami couldn’t help but groan as the new taste invaded her mouth and tongue and she welcomed it with open arms (or mouth in this case). This flavor was a declaration of her hard work and she would gladly take every bit of it.

As Asami’s tongue inexpertly began to flick across the woman’s sensitive bundle of nerves Korra’s bucking became a bit rougher, as if she were trying to move away from the pleasure Asami was working so hard to give her. That just wouldn’t do.

Asami lifted her arms and wrapped them around Korra’s thighs, attempting to ease the bucking so she could better focus on drawing out the most pleasure from her partner (lover, fuck buddy, girlfriend?).

The shrill whines of delight coming from Korra’s mouth were addictive and honestly, surprising. She was shocked to find out the normally gruff voice that was Korra’s could make such high-pitched noises. It was easily her new favorite sound.

Asami dipped her head lower and allowed her tongue to slide into the woman’s entrance, eager and curious to explore the inside of the woman. She was greeted by a stronger scent and taste of the juices she was becoming addicted to and also to Korra’s hand grabbing roughly at her hair, forcing her head to remain in position as her tongue probed inside of her.

“Oh god yes. You’re so fucking amazing.” The tan woman moaned loudly, her back arching as Asami flicked her tongue along the woman’s walls. Asami’s face became flushed with arousal at the woman’s vocal encouragement. She had never experienced sex with so much talking involved and she quickly realized dirty talk was becoming one of her biggest turn ons.

Asami wiggled her head just enough to remove her tongue from inside the other woman, quickly replacing it with her fingers instead. Pale fingers thrusted mercilessly inside of the tan goddess, not really keeping a pace or tempo. Her head dipped to once again flick her tongue across the woman’s clit, using her free arm to keep the woman from literally bucking the heiress off of the bed. This damn stallion would need to be broken.

Asami flicked her peridot eyes upwards to observe as Korra’s mouth hung open and sang a chorus of beautiful moans to her audience. The wastelander would scrunch her face up during a particularly pleasurable moment then soften it once more as the overwhelming pleasure passed. That tell alone was enough to know Korra was reaching her climax, and fast.

Green eyes never left Korra’s face, not even when the tan woman lifted her head and their gazes met, green greedy with desire and blue lidded with pleasure. It was at that moment Asami decided to take the other woman’s clit into her mouth and suck harshly upon the nerves, her tongue flicking over the bundle ceaselessly. Add the bliss that Asami’s long, slender fingers were contributing and it was easy to understand what was happening when Korra’s back arched upwards harshly, her voice shifting from shrill moans to full out screams of ecstasy.

The hold in Asami’s hair tightened and kept the heiress in place to ride the woman out through her orgasm, though the hand was not necessary for Asami could not imagine wanting to be anywhere except between this woman’s legs at this moment. Asami’s grip tightened on the woman’s waist to keep from being thrown off and it was almost more exhausting to keep her balance than it was riding through her own orgasm. Thankfully after nearly half a minute of screaming and jerking Korra eased back onto the bed, her body going limp as soon as Asami extracted herself from the woman’s pleasure center.

The heiress slid her fingers out from inside the woman and sucked greedily at the liquid coating them, giving a groan of satisfaction at the delicious taste. Her eyes flicked upwards to see Korra laying motionless except for a heaving chest, her arm covering her eyes and shielding them from view.

Asami slipped up the woman’s body, eyeing Korra’s supple breasts and silently berating herself for not giving those delicious chocolate nipples a taste before they started. If not for her overwhelming exhaustion she would begin their next round right then and there.

She laid her pale body out on top of Korra’s and rested comfortably atop her, a cheeky grin breaking across red, lipstick smeared lips. She saw a blue eye peak from beneath the arm covering Korra’s face and soon she could see Korra smiling right back at her.

“There is no way you’ve never done that before.” Korra finally broke the silence with a small chuckle, lifting her arm from her face and instead wrapping those powerful limps around Asami’s back to keep them as close as possible.

“Why? Was I that good?” She purred, giggling quietly when Korra’s fingers began a brief onslaught on her sides. Asami squirmed above the woman and eventually fell on her side with her body remaining pressed as close to the warm flesh beside her.

“You were incredible. And I really want to return the favor. Ready for round 2?” Korra murmured before smashing their lips together in a rough kiss, causing Asami to moan quietly. She allowed the kiss to go on for a few moments before finally breaking their contact, panting quietly as she spoke.

“As much as I want to I am literally too tired to go again.” As if to concur with her statement the heiress yawned loudly, unable to contain herself in a ladylike fashion. Apparently her last week of very little sleep was catching up to her.

A small smile broke across Korra’s face and the shorter woman simply nodded, pressing a gentle kiss to Asami’s forehead. The heiress fell comfortably into the woman’s embrace, burying her face into the woman’s neck as Korra lifted the crumpled sheets from beneath their bodies to cover them. The linen truly wasn’t necessary due to Korra’s intense body heat but Asami wouldn’t complain. She couldn’t imagine possibly being anymore comfortable than she was now.

Just as she closed her eyes and was about to welcome the sweet embrace of sleep she felt Korra squirm beside her and finally speak, her voice quiet.

“So… Does this mean we’re dating?”

Asami’s eyes peeked open and stared silently at the tan flesh in front of her. Were they dating? How could Korra ask her that? How could stubborn Korra who has treated Asami like a queen for the pass few weeks and selflessly given her time and effort to make her happy even think of asking her that question after everything they’ve been through? Especially the last hour?

“Yes.” Asami whispered, closing her eyes once more and easily drifting back off to her half-asleep state. She vaguely remembers hearing Korra whisper a quiet ‘Awesome’ before finally falling into a dreamless slumber, her mind surprisingly clear.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's about time, I know. Also, R.I.P Korra's wrist... that is not easy to do. Hope you all enjoyed. Just don't enjoy it too much. Or do. It's none of my business.


	22. Chapter 22

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm done naming my chapters... I'm awful at that.

Her body shifted uncomfortably on the mattress, attempting to ease the ache in her joints and other more intimate areas. Asami had been awake for a few minutes now and despite the call from her bladder she attempted to stay in the bed as long as she could, no matter how uncomfortable.

What was her reason for staying, one might ask? Because it’s not every day that a woman gets to wake up to the sight of a very beautiful, very naked caramel deity in bed with her. And Asami planned to milk every second of this for as long as she possibly could before her bladder decided to explode.

The heiress propped herself up on her elbow, careful not to wake the sleeping woman beside her, and allowed her eyes to burn the sight of a naked, slumbering Korra into her mind forever. Korra. Her girlfriend.

Normally placing a label on her relationship would have had Asami squirming with discomfort but for some reason when Korra had popped the question the night prior the vixen didn’t even hesitate to come up with her response. And thankfully, she didn’t regret her decision. She could have easily chalked it up to post-coital emotions but she wouldn’t lie to herself or Korra like that. Knowing she belonged to the other woman and vice versa filled her with delightful butterflies.

Green eyes trailed across the woman’s body and noted the various lipstick smears located along her stomach and more heavily focused on the other woman’s face, mainly her lips. She hadn’t noticed the appearance hours prior when her focus wasn’t on the woman’s appearance but her performance instead. But now, as she gazed down at the wastelander, Asami could see just how sloppy they had been. She resisted the urge to wipe at the red smears in fear of waking the other woman and chose to silently observe instead.

A quick glance out the window indicated it was either the middle of the night or very early in the morning, not enough time for the sun to make its appearance yet. Asami wasn’t sure if their friends had ever returned or if Mako gave them the heads up that they shouldn’t come back for the night. Since they weren’t brutally awakened by a squealing Opal she had to assume that their group decided to respect their privacy and leave them to their own devices. She was thankful to them for their tact, for once. And she was even more thankful for Korra helping her forget herself and her worries, if for one night.

She sighed dreamily and leaned downwards slowly, careful not to disturb the other woman, and planted her lips softly to a tan cheek. She remained still, allowing the seconds to tick by before she finally separated her lips from the other woman’s flesh. Korra didn’t stir in the slightest, apparently lost in her own dreams.

At some point during her creepy staring session Asami found she could no longer ignore the burning ache in her bladder. She slipped from the bed as gracefully as she could and disappeared inside the attached bathroom. After properly relieving herself she allowed curiosity to get the best of her and she stopped in front of the broken mirror at the sink. The sight before her horrified the poor vixen.

Her hair, her pride and joy, was tousled and knotted, not at all upkept like it normally would be, and her lipstick was smeared carelessly along her lips. She looked like an absolute mess. The thought of Korra waking up to such a disheveled woman encouraged the heiress to turn on the shower and fix herself up.

The thought had never occurred to her with Iroh. She could have cared less what she had looked like before or after sex (thankfully she had always managed to look presentable during both) but with Korra it was different. Now that she was another person’s special someone she wanted to impress them. She wanted to be showed off and admired if not simply for her girlfriend’s praise and affection. It was a truly innocent way of thinking, or perhaps it was her inexperience in the field of dating that had her so giddy.

As steam began to fill the bathroom she finally stepped under the hot water and groaned in satisfaction at the instant relief she felt when the liquid hit her. She was certainly sore after the previous days endeavors and that included more than just sex. She felt the heat seep into her aching joints and allowing both her mind and body to relax.

Her thoughts began to wander to her newly obtained responsibilities. She made a commitment to a woman she barely knew but for some reason trusted with her life. If her future plans weren’t already a jumbled mess they most certainly were now. Assuming she and Korra’s relationship remained stable throughout their entire time of searching for her father she was now caught between two options; leave her woman for the BoS like originally planned or attempt to make a life together. But what would that life consist of?

As far as Asami could tell Korra’s method to making caps involved putting her life on the line for stupid, minor paying jobs. Unless she was hiding some secret skill that Asami didn’t know about, as unlikely that is. Or was she thinking too far ahead in their relationship? Would Korra fret about small things like this or would she shrug it off in a Korra-ish manner? She could imagine Korra rolling her eyes and simply embracing her with a kiss if she had found out about the vixens worries.

The simple thought of a kiss sent a small shudder through the woman’s body despite being beneath warm water. She had finally got a taste of the other woman in unbridled passion and it was honestly tempting to go wake her for another round. The memories of hours prior sent a flood of excitement coursing through her veins where it eventually pooled between her legs.

After weeks of sexual frustration it was nice to finally release some of that tension but as of right now it wasn’t nearly enough. She wanted Korra to take her again and again until she couldn’t remember her own name. But for now she would be considerate and allow the woman extra sleep while she took care of her own problems.

Asami allowed one of her hands to slowly slip down the front of her body, starting from her breasts and moving slowly down until she reached between her legs. She stroked a finger through her folds teasingly and wasn’t surprised to find her finger soaked in a fluid with a thicker consistency than water. Her body was eager and she was more than happy to appease it.

Her finger brushed through her other set of lips a few times, soaking her appendage in her own juice until she finally slid her finger up to her clit, a low groan accompanying the electrifying touch.

Her forehead leaned forward until it was pressed against the soothingly chilled wall, the coolness a stark contrast to her burning body. She continued to flick her finger across her clit slowly, working her speed up gradually. Her moans seemed to run in correlation with the speed of her finger. As her finger sped up her small groans of approval turned to loud mewls, attempting to keep her volume low in respect for her sleeping companion. Her other hand lifted to squeeze wantingly at her breast, tweeking the nipple between her thumb and index finger. That pleasure alone caused an array of goosebumps to cover her arms despite the steaming water splashing on her skin.

The heiress panted softly as the pleasure began to wrack through her body like small waves, her hips bucking slightly with each drag of her finger. She grasped her bottom lip between her teeth to keep her moans at bay, the only sound coming out now being that of a high whimper as she felt her orgasm fast approaching. That was until she felt a warm body press into her back and arms wrap around her waist. The shock alone caused her to freeze in her ministrations until a raspy voice whispered in her ear.

“Don’t stop.” Korra’s voice caused a wave of relief to flood her body but she didn’t continue her motions, embarrassment flushing over her as she groaned out in dismay.

“I’m sorry if I woke you.” The heiress murmured quietly.

“Make it up to me.” The command in the shorter woman’s voice left no room for argument. And if that didn’t seal the deal the fact Korra grasped Asami’s hand and forced her fingers to begin rubbing again did.

The vixen moaned unashamedly as the tension began to coil back in her stomach with each moment of building pleasure, aided by Korra’s lips trailing along the back and side of her neck. Asami lifted her free hand and reached behind her, her fingers wrapping themselves in brown locks to grab on to the other woman.

As desperately as she wished to hide in a hole for being caught masturbating she couldn’t bring herself to dislike the pleasure. Add Korra’s soft words of dirty encouragement and it was no surprise when her body began to buck as wave after wave of pleasure crashed down on her.

Asami didn’t have the chance to bask in her afterglow before she felt her body being twisted around and forcibly pressed against the cool shower wall. Her lips were captured in a heated kiss before she could protest the rough treatment. It seems whatever qualms Korra had about treating her harshly the hours prior had dissapeared with their night of passion.

Their tongues clashed together as Asami clung to the other woman for both warmth and leverage, her legs a bit shaky from her previous orgasm. Her nails dug into the shoulders of the other woman as they kissed until she felt Korra’s lips beginning to trail downwards. Her head tilted instinctively to the side to allow the woman better access to her neck but unfortunately she didn’t remain their long. Her lips continued downwards, nipping softly at various parts of her body until she felt a particularly sharp nip at her breast.

Her back arched towards the rough bite as the fingers of her other hand weaved through the woman’s hair, forcing her head to remain in place. Asami tilted her head backwards and whimpered as the woman’s tongue began to circle her stiff peak, onyx locks cascading down her pale back.

After a minute of the pleasurably torturous treatment to her nipple she felt Korra kissing lower down her abdomen. It wasn’t until she felt a firm kiss on her hip that Asami snapped back to attention. She flinched slightly from the kiss and quickly glanced down to see Korra had taken a position on her knees and was attempting to weasel her way between Asami’s legs.

“Wait!” The vixen demanded quickly, earning Korra’s attention as blue eyes lifted upwards to peer at her. Now that she had a moment to focus Asami noticed how dark the other woman’s eyes were, no doubt glazed over by lust. On top of that her hair remained down as it did lastnight but seemed even more messy than usual. She looked feral and Asami couldn’t deny her attraction to possibly being mauled by this beast.

“What’s wrong?”

“I’d just rather kiss you is all.” Asami stated hesitantly before trying to urge Korra back up so they could continue their makeout session. Korra, on the otherhand, had no intentions of continuing.

“Asami I’ve wanted to taste you for so long. Can’t I?” The pleading in the tan woman’s voice almost had the heiress giving into the other woman’s desires. And she would be a liar if she said she wasn’t curious what it felt like.

Asami sucked her bottom lip between her teeth again as she stared down at the puppy dog eyes of the other woman. It was impossibly hard to reject such a look from the other woman.

“Why don’t you want me to?” Asami’s eyes widened slightly when she heard the offense in the other woman’s voice. Her expression shifted from pleading to hurt and distant. The heiress chided herself internally for making Korra feel so insecure literally hours into their relationship. She trailed her fingers soothingly over the other woman’s cheek, offering a small smile to try and ease her discomfort.

“It’s not that I don’t want you to, Korra. I’ve just never… had a good experience with it.” Asami admitted hesitantly. Korra stared blankly up at her for a moment before resting her cheek comfortably against a creamy thigh, waiting to hear the rest of the explanation. With a heavy sigh Asami continued. “I’ve only had one time when Iroh tried and he wasn’t a big fan. He just kinda stopped in the middle. And it made me feel self-conscious so I’m just not very comfortable doing,” She began to gesture to nowhere with her hand, “all that.”

Korra’s face twisted into a scowl and for the briefest of moments Asami was worried that mentioning Iroh made the tan woman angry. Before she could mutter out an apology Korra gave her thigh a soft kiss.

“That guy’s an immature idiot. You should never feel insecure about anything. Not when you’re with me.” Asami blushed lightly at the declaration and smiled, her fingers stroking softly through the other woman’s hair. “And besides. You went down on me awhile ago. Did you hate it?” When Asami shook her head Korra continued. “Exactly. It’s not bad at all and I know I’ve been dying to get a taste.” Korra nipped roughly at the woman’s thigh and Asami couldn’t help but flinch, grasping the woman’s hair tightly. Korra’s voice dropped an octave, her tone growing serious as she growled out. “Especially if it’s from a sexy woman like yourself.”

Asami tilted her head back to rest against the wall as Korra began to lavish her thighs in small bites and kisses. Her hands lifted to the back of Asami’s thighs and massaged them gently. At no point did the woman force her legs apart and Asami was quickly reminded of how patient and caring Korra had been lastnight when she felt the piercing bite of insecurity take over. She had trusted Korra and it paid off in full. There was no reason she couldn’t trust her now.

Asami closed her eyes as she slowly allowed her legs to move apart, exposing herself completely to the woman that was on her knees and worshipping her body like a temple. She could tell she was dripping with excitement, literally, and twitched every time Korra pressed a kiss closer and closer to her core.

“You’re beautiful.” Were the last words she heard before she hissed in pleasure at the light kiss pressed to her clit. She was still sensitive from her orgasm minutes prior. She leaned over slightly to use Korra for balance, her nails scraping against the other woman’s scalp to encourage her to continue. She was embarrassed, that much was certain, but she was also excited and curious to find out what the other woman had in store with her.

Korra stroked her tongue flatly through Asami’s lips and the vixen groaned at the feeling. This was far different than fingers. Much warmer and softer and very, very addicting. Another long stroke had the woman catching her breath and finally releasing a loud gasp as Korra trailed her tongue along her clit. Her tongue was no longer flat and instead pointed as the caramel woman flicked her tongue across Asami’s clit.

It took all of her power not to simply collapse at the overwhelming pleasure and she gave half the credit to Korra for keeping her up. Korra grabbed one of Asami’s legs and lifted it up and over her shoulder, giving her better access.

Asami began to roll her hips slowly, her moans increasing in pitch with each stroke of the woman’s tongue.

“Fuck… Korra.” The heiress hissed and at that moment she felt the woman’s face go a bit lower as her tongue began to tease the vixens opening. Asami lifted her hips a bit to allow better access and was immediately gratified when Korra slid her tongue inside of her.

Asami’s moans echoed off the walls, her jaw dropping at the feeling of the wet muscle wiggling around inside of her. She cursed herself for waiting this long to discover such pleasures. She could easily become hooked on this feeling, especially if Korra was the one providing.

She felt Korra’s tongue slide out from inside of her and began to stroke roughly at the vixens clit again, earning a loud moan in return. Her stomach began to twist into a knot again as her orgasm began to build. Asami pressed her hand into the back of Korra’s head and forced the pressure on her clit to become harder and it only took moments for her body to stiffen as the peek of her orgasm washed over her. Her jaw dropped into a silent scream as the waves rolled through her, her body writhing in uncontrollable pleasure as Korra continued to mercilessly assault her clit.

Eventually her twitching slowed, along with Korra’s tongue, until Asami was finally released from the woman’s hold. She slowly slid down the wet wall and was greeted by cold water splashing at her now outstretched legs. She was actually grateful for the cold considering her overheated body temperature, not made any easier by the way Korra was looking at her.

That cocky grin was ever present as Korra slid forward and pressed their lips together. The wastelander didn’t wait for permission before sliding her tongue into Asami’s mouth and giving the vixen a fresh taste of her own juice. She barely had the chance to return the kiss before Korra was pulling back and giving Asami a gentle nuzzle of her nose.

“Well? How was it?” The genuine excitement in the woman’s voice had Asami grinning.

“You were incredible. Ten out of ten. I’ll definitely be coming back for more.”

Korra scoffed and chuckled, peppering the woman’s face in feather light kisses. Asami giggled and tried to capture the woman’s lips, making a game out of their little chase. It took several attempts before Asami finally managed to kiss the other woman properly. It took only a few moments for the kiss to deepen and their bodies to ignite with desire once more.

Asami grabbed at the woman’s shoulders desperately and pressed their bodies closely together. She could feel the other woman grasping at her legs and slowly massaging her hands upwards until they squeezed tightly at her inner thighs .

Asami groaned quietly and stared pleadingly at the other woman, urging her to continue.

“Korra-”

“Are you two done yet? We’re getting ready to leave!” Opal’s shouting had Asami nearly jumping out of her skin, her head twisting to the entrance of the bathroom as she desperately tried to hide her nudity behind her arms. Thankfully her friend was simply shouting into the room and not making an abrupt entrance but that didn’t hide the fact that their lovemaking had clearly been heard. And if she heard it, Bolin and Mako were likely victims as well.

Asami groaned loudly and shoved her face in her hands, attempting to hide her embarrassment. Beside her Korra laughed loudly and reached up to turn the shower off.

“I can’t believe they heard us.” Asami groaned into her hands, shaking her head furiously. Opal will never let her live this down.

“Well to be specific, they heard you.” At Asami’s piercing glare Korra lifted her hands in surrender. “If it’s any consolation you have a really sexy voice.”

“It’s not.” The heiress bit back but smiled nonetheless. “Now let’s go before Opal decides to come get us herself.”

-

The two walked out of the bedroom fully clothed and with wet hair. Asami refused to meet the eyes of any of the people sitting in the livingroom and instead opted to sit on the couch immediately, waiting for the briefing on what they would be doing next. Korra sat down beside her and slid her arm over the back of her shoulders.

Silence filled the room while Asami found interesting patterns in their torn carpet to look at. Who knew carpet could be so captivating.

“Did you two sleep well?” Opal finally spoke, breaking the tense silence. Asami lifted her eyes and met her friends gaze, keeping her demeanor calm.

“We did. And how did you sleep?”

“It was good. But I think there was a cat next door or something. I kept hearing all this screeching. It was pretty loud.” Opal’s lips twisted into an innocent smile while Asami’s face lit up in a blush. Besides her she could feel Korra shaking with suppressed laughter and she nudged the other woman in the ribs to force her to keep her composure.

‘I’m sorry to hear that Ope. Hopefully you get better sleep tonight.” Asami offered a genuine smile and Opal only snickered in response.

“You and me both. I didn’t even know cats could talk. It sounded like ‘Oh Korra fuck Korra!’… pretty weird cat.” Opal’s smirk was absolutely arrogant and Asami could no longer hide the red tint spreading across her face. Beside her Korra finally busted out with loud laughter along with the rest of the room, Mako included.

“Sounds like the other cat really knew what she was doing!” Korra exclaimed excitedly and began to nudge Asami playfully. Asami shot the other woman another glare but this time Korra couldn’t contain her laughter. It was truly infectious. The heiress’ face slowly broke out into a smile before she offered a few chuckles to laugh with the rest of the group, even if it was at her own expense.

“Well, now that that’s out of the way. You mentioned we’re leaving soon?” Korra peered around the group and Mako finally spoke up.

“That’s right. Time to head back to DC. Nick should be back and Naga’s good to go. We really need to start focusing so we can get this done and over with.”

Naga perked up at the mention of her name and wandered over to Asami, settin her fluffy head in the woman’s lap so she could drown her in affection. Asami set her hands on the dogs jowls and pushed them together, mushing her face up as she spoke in her in her baby voice.

“You ready to go girl? You wanna go bite some things?” Naga whined in response, her tail thumping wildly against the floor.

“Yeah girl. Maybe you’ll catch that cat that was driving you crazy all night.” Opal added with a small giggle which quieted when Asami glared at her.

“Damn pussy cats.” Korra added while pecking Asami on the cheek.

-

-

-

“Okay but I’m just saying… We should have a back up plan if Nick isn’t here. We can’t just keep waiting.” Korra grumbled as the gate to Diamond City opened and granted the group access to its depths.

The walk from city to city had thankfully been uneventful. Truth be told Asami wasn’t sure if she could stand the same excitement as the last time they made this trek. And if another truth could be told Korra and Asami were too busy acting like giggling, flirting, school girls to truly pay attention to their surroundings. A brush of the hand here. A teasing pinch to the arm there. Their behavior was truly tooth rottening sweet, made all the better by the annoyed groans of their companions. They wanted this relationship so badly, now it was time for them to deal with the consequences.

“If he isn’t here then we’ll go somewhere else.” Mako retorted with a scowl.

“Where Sharky? Where would we possibly go?”

There was a long silence before Mako sighed, waving his hand dismissively. Korra opened her mouth to fire out another comment but Asami quickly took her hand, urging the other woman to let the topic drop.

“Let’s see if he’s here first. If he isn’t then we can figure out after that, alright?” Asami leaned into the other woman’s arm and gave her hand a tight squeeze. “Please?” She added quietly. She was in a great mood and she didn’t want pointless bickering to taper that feeling. Thankfully Korra didn’t put up a fight and for that Asami was grateful. It was nice to have the power to silence such a strong woman.

The loud bustle of a busy city greeted them as they walked the slope of steps to the city entrance. This was Asami’s second time seeing this marvel of engineering wonder and it still managed to take her breath away. If anything it was even more wondrous the second time around.

“Listen. I’m going to see if Nick is here. Why don’t you guys go grab something to eat? On me.” Mako tossed a small bag of caps to Bolin and the burly man was all too excited to take them at the prospect of a free meal. If Asami had known better she would have thought Mako was trying to get rid of them by appealing to half the groups weakness, that being their stomachs. Before the heiress could begin her interrogation she was tugged off to the side by an excited Opal, tearing her away from her girlfriend.

“It’s our first double date!” Opal squealed excitedly.

“If all my dates end like lastnight I’m totally down for this.” Korra slid up beside Asami and gave her a quick slap on the ass before proceeding forward at a faster pace, never allowing the heiress to swing out at her and get her revenge. Asami yelped quietly at the contact before scowling at her girlfriend (that’d take some getting use to) but the girls playful smile made it impossible to stay mad.

“God you two are cute. If only we can make you a little quieter during sex. I didn’t know you were a screamer.” Opal prodded the vixens side with her elbow repeatedly and it took everything Asami had not to slug her friend. Violent tendencies were becoming a quick means to fixing problems.

“I wasn’t. Until lastnight.” Asami finally murmured if not to get Opal to quit elbowing her. The high-pitched squeal beside her told Asami she had made a dire mistake in admitting that.

Opal grasped her arm and began to shake the heiress dramatically, her voice much louder than this close proximity called for. “You’re so gay! I knew it!” Several strangers shot glances at the woman and Asami groaned loudly at the unwanted attention her over-dramatic friend was causing.

“I’m done talking to you until you get yourself under control.”

“Fine. Then let’s just focus on our double date!” As if on cue Bolin came up beside the other side of Opal, grasping the woman’s hand with a fond smile directed at the both of them.

“You were just bitching and moaning about us being too lovey-dovey and now you’re excited to get us all to yourself? Make up your mind.” Asami teased with a smirk, basking in the defiant eye roll of her friend.

Korra stopped a bit ahead of them at one of the open tables surrounding the center of the market. Asami was a bit nervous about eating in a different spot than the last time they visited but she was willing to give ‘squirrel bits’ a try as long as she was assured they wouldn’t cause some kind of mutation or possibly kill her.

The tan woman pulled out one of the seats as the trio approached and motioned for Asami to take it. The gesture was so dated yet so uncharacteristically sweet that Asami couldn’t help but give the woman a quick peck on the lips in thanks before taking her spot. Beside her Korra sat down while the other couple sat on the other side of the table.

“Who knew you were such a gentleman, Korra.” Opal grinned.

“If you knew what Asami could do with her mouth you’d do everything you can to make her happy.” Korra smirked as Asami gaped at her in disbelief. How could she blatantly say something like that in public? In front of their friends? Who were laughing hysterically at the comment and once again drawing attention from passersby.

“And if you ever want me to use my mouth again you’ll shut up.” Asami hissed through clenched teeth and Korra mock saluted her for a brief moment before settling her hand on top of Asami’s and grinning.

“Do tell more.” Opal prodded while Bolin nodded eagerly, his smile blinding. Asami shot a glare at the woman beside her and Korra quickly caught on, snapping her mouth shout before she could give away any information. The wastelander lifted her free hand to cup around her mouth but made it a point to whisper loud enough for everyone at the table to hear.

“I’ll tell you later.”

“Or. Bolin and Asami can get us some drinks and we can gossip a little?” Green eyes flickered from Bolin to Asami hopefully and they both sighed, though for different reasons.

“Fine. But we’re drinking whiskey.” Asami stated as she stood up from her seat followed by Bolin who swung his arm over the heiress’ shoulders to direct her to the open bar.

“I knew you two would be a great couple.” The man teased while prodding the woman’s side with his finger in a similar fashion Opal had done a few minutes prior. Two peas in a damn pod.

Asami rolled her eyes as they approached the animatronic bartender. “Hey Bo, are there any really sour alcohols? Like lip puckering sour?” The men hummed in thought before responding.

“Well, there’s a lemon drop shot. Why do you ask?”

Asami grinned mischievously and looked at the robot, ordering one of these ‘lemon drop’s’ and then ordering three similarly colored shots to go with it. The man stared at her bemusedly as the animatron gathered their drinks, attempting to decipher her motives. She only shrugged innocently in response.

As the drinks slid in front of them they both took hold of one in each hand. Asami made sure to memorize which hand held the sour drink before she was distracted by Bolin.

“Uh oh.” He squeaked and Asami glanced at him with an arched brow. She followed his gaze back to their table where she felt her blood immediately begin to boil.

Sat in her seat was an infuriatingly recognizable woman with blonde hair, blatantly crawling her fingers up along Korra’s forearm. In Korra’s defense, she certainly looked uncomfortable but that didn’t compare to the death stare Opal was giving their uninvited guest.

Asami inhaled sharply and gathered her bearings before walking back to their table, following by a shuffling Bolin who looked like a deer in headlights.

“If I distinctly recall our bet circumstances, you’re not suppose to be anywhere near me.” Asami stated calmly but sent a venom like smile at the other woman. Olivia seemed unfazed, simply rolling her eyes.

“Oh I remember. I was just picking up this cutie before I left. Come on, Korra.” Olivia went to snatch the woman’s hand but Korra quickly pulled it away as if she had just been burnt. It didn’t seem possible for the poor woman to be in a more uncomfortable position.

“Uh no. No. I don’t think my um… girlfriend would appreciate that.” Asami was pleased by the initial look of confusion that crossed Olivia’s face, followed by a disgusted sneer as Korra slid her arm possessively around Asami’s waist.

“Seriously? Gross.” The woman scoffed as she stood up, her glare leveling on Asami now as the heiress simply smirked.

“Go along now. You’re ruining our date.” Asami stated as sweetly as possible before shouldering pass the unwanted woman and taking her seat. She set their drinks down on the table and glanced up at Olivia, staring at her as if to ask ‘What the hell are you still doing here?’.

Green eyes flickered down to the woman’s fists that clenched suddenly and immediately prepared to defend herself as Olivia took a step towards her.

“Stop.” The cold voice beside her drew Asami’s attention away from the immediate threat and to the tan woman who sat beside her. Normally joyful blue eyes were narrowed dangerously, her jaw clenched and set in a way that said she was not fucking around. “Touch her and I’ll break your fucking hand.” Her voice was low and any sane person could see she was not joking. Violence wasn’t normally a turn on for the heiress but apparently if it was for her honor against a snotty bitch it was a quick way to get her engine revving.

Olivia gasped loudly, throwing her arms in the air. “You’re seriously picking her over me?” Green eyes never left Korra’s face, allowing her to see the slow transition from hardened savage to soft sap. Korra’s lips twitched upwards in a small smile before she grasped Asami’s hand and brought it up to her lips, placing a soft kiss to the back of it.

“Yeah. Yeah I am.” Asami’s cheeks tinged pink as she smiled, finally returning her attention to Olivia who began to seethe and stumble over her own words. She was apparently done dealing with them and decided to stomp off, throwing a series of explicit words at their group.

“Well, that was exciting. Give me alcohol.” Opal stated as she snatched one of the drinks from Bolin who had stood by, stunned the entire time by their interaction. Korra went to reach for the lemon drop before Asami snatched it from her and gave her the other drink. She had every intention of teaching Korra a lesson for her earlier big mouth but how could she possibly be mad at her girlfriend for sticking up for her? She’d just have to take the hit this time.

“To KorrAsami.” Bolin lifted his drink and Asami rolled her eyes at the awful conjunction of their names. Who would come up with something as dumb as that?

“And screaming cats.” Opal added which caused Asami to scowl at her friend again.

“Wait!” A familiar voice yelled out to them and all heads turned to see Mako quickly approaching them, clearly distraught and out of breath. “We gotta go. To Sanctuary.” The man breathed.

“Why?”

“Nick. He told me there’s a huge group of people there. New people. Vault dwellers.” Asami visibly swallowed at the statement before shaking her head in disbelief.

“And? I’m sure there are other vaults around here. Why rush off on a tip like that?”

“There’s only two active vaults around here. 58 and 81. And as far as I’m aware Vault 81 doesn’t have anybody actively running away from it.” Asami narrowed her eyes at that but Mako put his hands up passively. “I’m not trying to be rude. I’m just saying first your dad, now you two, and a month later a whole group? It has to be.”

As the group bickered it out Asami took to staring at the table, tuning out the words around her and allowing herself to lose herself in her thoughts. Mako unfortunately had a valid point. But why would a group of her people be out here? Noatak wouldn’t let them leave. Or did they escape? And why would they? What was happening back in their vault? The onslaught of questions had her mind reeling before she was forcibly pulled back to reality by someone calling her name.

“What do you think, Asami? Should we check it out?” It was Opal looking to her for guidance and Asami glanced around the group to curious faces.

“If there’s any possibility that our people followed us out here we need to check on them and make sure they’re safe.” The group accepted her answer with a nod before Bolin raised his filled shot glass once more.

“To Sanctuary!” He cheered.

“To Sanctuary!” They echoed. Asami groaned in dismay when Mako stole her shot from her hand and downed it instead. The way the man choked on the sour liquid sliding down his throat and coughed up desperately to ease the burn was satisfaction enough to make up for her missed out shot.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> My loyal readers. I apologize for the late post but I must follow with more bad news. I need to take a small hiatus so I can get ahead on chapters and don't have to keep you all waiting like this again. I've hit a wall and I plan on taking a bunch of overtime at work, which means more time to type! I hope you all understand and will remain with me. Thank you for everything!


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